Yuna Inspired: Our Virtual Family
by vangelbabe11
Summary: Temari and Shikamaru are two best friends who occasionally bicker with one another on a daily basis. They're such great friends that they understand one another, something even best friends may not be able to do; however, their relationship takes a one hundred eighty degree turn when Shikamaru becomes a father of an infant and Temari makes a choice to be involved.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Comment: Ignore the bolding. It's for personal use. Also, in this 'world,' there are NO ninjas or jutsu's. It's just a normal human world. In case you don't know, OC next to a name means: Original Character = Fake character. Thank you and enjoy.

* * *

"O-hayou!" Temari greeted her friends as she put her bag down. It was the first day of the second semester, and everyone had just come back from summer break. "Did you do your homework?"

Her friend Matsuri turned around with a frown, "I couldn't. I swear, I _wanted_ to do the summer project, but my father thought I was lying to avoid meeting his young girlfriend."

Temari laughed, "Well, it's true. You don't like doing homework. That sounds reasonable to me." She took out a book from her bag, "By the way, how was she?"

"A total bi-"

"-Morning!" A sudden harsh pinch at Temari's right cheek interrupted the girls' conversation. It was a happy Shikamaru who was doing his embarrassing victory dance. "What were you two talking about?" He sat down as if nothing had happened.

Well, unfortunately, for him, his friend wasn't going to let it pass. Temari massaged her cheek and ferociously stood up. "OI! Why'd you pinched me so hard! My mouth's going to swell up!"

He put on a sluggish face, "So, it's not as if you're going to use them for anyone." He looked at her with a teasing face, "Ever." He and Matsuri laughed but Matsuri stopped when Temari looked back.

"Apologize. Now." Temari demanded. She put her hands on her hips and leaned on one side of her leg. "Besides, I am going to use these lips on someone, and you'll never get to know who!"

"Please, as if." He stood up to reach her eye level, though, of course, still a growing teenager, he was taller than Temari almost by a head's length. He quickly sat back down again after declaring war. Temari was about to burst when Shikamaru's own friends came to save the day. "Right on time, bros!" He high-fived Gaara and Naruto. Temari didn't care. They've already seen too much of Temari bullying Shikamaru, so another one wouldn't hurt, that was if the bell hadn't rung for class to start. "Can't do anything now, can't ya?" He mockingly whispered to her as he threw on his winning smile.

She smirked back and whispered, "Oh, we still have afterschool, young man." She scoffed and patted her cheeks and turned her attention to the board. _I'm going to make you say those words even if I have to kill you myself!_

"Where's Temari?" Shikamaru asked Matsuri, "She's skipping out on her job, eh? She promised she'll be making me a bento for the rest of the school year."

Matsuri handed Shikamaru a bentou box, "It's from Mi-chan. She told me to give it to you."

He took the bento from Matsuri which was given to her by Temari and opened it. His eyes widened, "Wah, they're all my favorites!" He hugged the bento as if it was a girl and Naruto, Gaara, and Matsuri looked at him in disgust. The group was on top of the roof of the school eating their lunch during lunch time. He immediately pinned his chopsticks into the food as he gobbled it down. "Mi-chan knows my favorites!"

"She's in the infirmary." Matsuri answered Shikamaru's previous question once she sat down to eat with her friends. She sadly added, "Her mouth swelled so much that…she can't possibly eat anything." The boys stopped eating. Naruto and Gaara looked at the guilty Shikamaru. He glanced at them and then back at his food. "She'll be starving for days…and soon, she'll succumb to death!"

The boys dropped their bento down and scurried around Matsuri. Gaara asked his girlfriend, "Death?!"

Matsuri sniffed, "Well, that's what I heard from the nurse when I went to check up on her." She grabbed a nearby tissue and wiped the bottom of her eyes, "I thought she was going to get it looked at, but when the nurse said that it's best for her to stay…I knew it wasn't a good thing." She glanced over at Shikamaru to hint that everything was his fault. The boys took this and gave him a look.

Tired of all the looks and the implied accusation, he got up and patted his clothes. "Fine. I'll go check up on her." He stuttered, "I'll- she'll be fine." He left his friends without continuing.

The leftover friends look at one another and had the same thought. _He really feels guilty._

* * *

"Um, Tsunade-sensei," Shikamaru quietly asked as he stood in the entrance of the school infirmary. He looked around and saw that one bed had its curtains closed. _She must be on that bed._ "Is Temari here?"

Tsunade-sensei looked up from her file cabinet, "Oh, Shikamaru-kun." She quietly came over, "She's asleep. Apparently, her swollen mouth hurts too much that she decided to sleep through the pain." She tapped him, "What happened?" She moved on over to sit on her chair.

Shikamaru pulled over another chair and sat across from her, "Well, you see, same old, same old." He expressed with a few hand movements.

Tsunade-sensei nodded, "Yes, you bullying her and she bullying you." She sarcastically sighed exhaustingly to express all the pain she had suffered for the past year ever since they entered high school. She was the one who had been bandaging the two friends who were trouble makers and violent players to one another. But, she could never get mad at them because they always made her job exciting and worthwhile.

"Exactly." Shikamaru said. He then turned solemn, "But, this time, I went too far."

Tsunade-sensei sweetly looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru puckered up, "I pinched one side of her cheeks too hard…and her mouth swelled up because of that." He sighed and laid back into his chair, "She always angrily told me to stop pinching her because it hurts, but…I do it because they're meant to be pinched!" He started raising his hands and air-pinched to express the temptation of Temari's puffed cheeks. He inhaled, "I guess I won't be doing it anymore."

"That's it?' Tsunade-sensei asked. Shikamaru looked up, "I don't think it's a crime to pinch someone's cheeks, but…shouldn't you be saying something to her?"

Shikamaru finally remembered. He nodded. "Hai, I should be apologizing." Tsunade-sensei motioned to him to say it to the real Temari at the bed. So, he got up and walked over to it. He pulled the curtains away and saw a blanket covering Temari with just her hair showing. Sighing to be ready and sincere, he said, "Temari…gomenasai." He even bowed at the end. As soon as he leaned straight, hands surrounded him and before he knew it, he was pinched on both sides of his cheeks from the back. He twisted his body free from the person and accidently sat down on sleeping Temari. He gasped and then sat back up only to bump into another Temari.

Shikamaru blinked and pointed at her. "Oi!" He pointed back and forth between the Temari on the bed and the Temari standing in front of him. "What—what?"

"Gotcha!" Temari shouted. She pulled the covers off of the 'Temari' on the bed to show that it was just huge pillow and a wig. Tsunade-sensei laughed and it became clear that Tsunade-sensei and his friends were in on it. Temari puffed up her cheeks and poked them to show that she was all right.

"Alright, kids. I'll be back. Now that I helped you, Temari, it's your turn to help watch the infirmary while I go make some copies." Tsunade-sensei left the room with a stack of printing papers.

Just then, a relieved Shikamaru abruptly hugged Temari and she couldn't really breathe for the hug was real tight. She tapped him and in between breaths, she managed to ask, "Ne, what's…what's wrong?"

"I'm just glad you're really alright." He honestly said. The two huggers continued hugging and didn't break away. Temari couldn't helped but smiled as she knew that her friend really cared for her. But, it really didn't last long because Shikamaru pulled away from the hug and with a straight face, he got back at her by saying, "Cause I'd be worried if I had to take responsibility for you for life!" He scoffed, "Having you for a friend's already a nightmare!"

The two friends laughed at the joke. Temari playfully hit him with a pillow and they started having a pillow fight. "Who said you're going to have to marry me?! Even if you're the last person on earth, I wouldn't even think of it!"

* * *

"Babysitting? Again?" Matsuri asked Temari while Temari put her cell phone away after reading a text from her older sister. "The text always has nothing but the words 'babysitting,' babysitting'." It was already the end of the first day of school after summer break.

"Well, I can't help it. **I'm the youngest child of nine, and six of my siblings are already married with more than twelve kids altogether.**" Temari said as she and Matsuri were putting on their outdoor shoes, ready to leave.

"You know, I've always wondered…if you have so much energy and willpower to be so cruel to Shikamaru, why can't you stand up to your own sisters?" Matsuri asked as she leaned on the cubbies. "It's _their_ kids, not yours. Why must you waste your youth to your siblings who wasted their youths when they were the ones who decided to get married at a young age?" She continued to add and emphasized, "…and when _they're_ the ones who decided to reproduce so fast. Being adults now, they should've learned to plan how many kids they can watch and feed at the same time, not just passing it onto whomever."

"I know, I know. **But, I'm doing it out of respect**. **I ****_am _****the youngest**, **and they're all older than me**." Temari answered.

Matsuri rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I forgot about you and your **super strict traditional family**."

Temari suddenly received a back hug from Shikamaru. His two friends were behind him. Not letting go of Temari, he asked, "You girls ready?" He happily hopped from behind her to show his excitement. The gang always hanged out afterschool for an hour or so before heading to their own houses.

Matsuri pouted and walked over to her boyfriend, Gaara, "No…apparently, Temari can't make it for the same reason."

"Babysitting, again?!" The boys asked in sync.

"Which bundle of kid this time?" Shikamaru asked as he pulled away from the hug and empathetically looked at her. There were four different bundles of kids that she had to watch out of the six older siblings that were married.

Temari laughed at the way Shikamaru worded it for they had always made it fun by saying it that way. "[OC] Mariko's kids."

Her friends scrunched up their faces, **"Ah, the four girls." The four girls were known to them as the most common bundle of kids that Temari always had to go babysit for stupid and for no particular reasons, though, they all but Temari believed that it was only because Sakura was just being lazy to watch her own kids. What sucked was that the kids really liked Temari, so with their force, they were the ones who usually 'persuaded' Temari to sleepover and her sister always supported her kids in doing anything to not let Temari escape.** The gang continued to discuss this as they headed out towards the exit of the school.

"I don't get it." Matsuri began again, "I mean, the oldest is already fourteen and they're only attending a stupid event next door! The oldest daughter and you are just two years apart!" Matsuri's rage was beginning, "If they can trust you to babysit the kids when you were twelve, why can't they do the same to their own child?! **You babysit without any pay!"**

"Actually, it was when she _just_ turned twelve, just a day after her twelfth birthday." Shikamaru corrected Matsuri.

Temari looked at her friends, "A _week _and a day," she corrected him. "I don't mind not getting paid, but...it's just..." _Exhausting._ "Thanks, guys." She always felt special when her friends remember such small details of her life. Reaching the gate of the school, she looked at her friends, "Well, I guess we all know the usual." She waved, "Don't have too much fun without me." She smiled.

Shikamaru snickered, "Oh, didn't you know?" Temari perked up. "We _alway_s have too much fun without ya."

Temari rolled her eyes as his attempt to make her jealous, "That's what _you_ think."

Shikamaru bogged his head, "Yeah, yeah." They looked at one another before one last goodbye for the day. "Don't work too hard, virtual Mommy."

Temari laughed. 'Virtual Mommy' was also one of the joking words they used whenever this situation popped up. They all came from Shikamaru himself. "Sure, virtual friend."

Shikamaru glared at her, "I'm not a virtual friend!" He confidently smiled, "I'm a _real _friend."

Temari stopped smiling. Hearing what Shikamaru had just said really brought her mood up. **She was already tired from the constant house-hopping to babysit the different bundles of kids during her summer break that wasn't even a break at all that when hearing this, it pained to know that she felt more comfortable and that she loved her friends more than her family. **"Thanks, Shikamaru." She sincerely said in her natural tone of voice. "Thank you very much."

Shikamaru gave her a smile and waved good bye to catch up with his friends to leave Temari to head home before she was late to her unpaid babysitting job.

* * *

"You shouldn't have come home now." Kakashi said, Shikamaru's older brother who opened the door. His expression showed that something bad had happened. Shikamaru entered the house and headed towards the stairs until he was stopped halfway by his father's voice. _That's weird. Why is o-tou-san here?_ "Better go. You'll know." Kakashi moved his head to point to the living room.

Shikamaru entered the living room and saw his parents sitting on the same side of a sofa. It happened only when something big- something troubling had occurred. _I didn't do anything wrong, so I shouldn't be nervous._ He placed his bag down on the floor and waited for further instructions.

"Sit." His father said. Shikamaru noticed that his Mother's eyes were red. _Had she been crying?_ As he sat down, his brother sat on another couch diagonally from him. _Did they decide to finally get a divorce?_

"Shikamaru," his father began, "I've always tolerated your young hormonal personality with your raging teenage yearnings- or whatever you kids call it these days-"

"-Flirting?" Shikamaru happily corrected his father as if he took pride in what he did.

The way his father worded it was because his father had a double major in biology and a minor psychology. He was hardly home because he'd rather spend his days and nights at his research lab than with his wife. It was the same with Shikamaru's mother- she was a traveling journalist who photographed and blogged about her travels and the different situations she encountered during her journies. They could only be reached through a phone, for the father, and through the internet, for the mother. The rarest of them all was having both parents home at the same time.

His father looked at him and monotonously answered with disgust, "Yes." At this moment, Shikamaru's mother started sniffing as if she was going to cry again. They ignored her.

"But, now…" Shikamaru's father continued, "I will _not_-"

A weird sound was heard adjacent to Shikamaru. He didn't recognize the voice, but it was loud enough to make the discussion come to a halt. Shikamaru noticed that his family wasn't alarmed at the sudden interruption. "What…what was that?" _Did we get a cat? Mom's allergic to cats, though._ Out of the blue, Lady Nara bawled so loudly that it confused Shikamaru. Shikamaru also noticed that no one was doing anything- not even stopping his mother from crying about who knew what.

Another same sound was heard again, this time, much louder and more familiar. He looked at his family for further instructions, but when none was given, he gathered courage to search it himself. He headed to the direction where it was heard- a hallway that had the guest rooms. There, he saw, lying on the floor was an infant wrapped around with blankets in a basket. He gasped and nervously backed away back into the room.

He started pointing to the place, "Over there! Oi!" He panicked, "I saw a baby!" He looked at his family who didn't flinch at his words. "Oi! I'm serious!" He was so flustered, "Why- who's!" A realization came into his mind and he bashfully smiled. "Mom...you..you were pregnant?"

"NO!" Shikamaru's father immediately jolted up in anger and embarrassment after what Shikamaru had said. In response to the shout, Shikamaru dropped down to the ground. "It's _your_ child!"

Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. _My-my ba-!...Whose baby?!_

* * *

This will be updated ONCE every 1st [first] and 15th [fifteenth] of the month unless notified otherwise.

Thank you.

Enjoy and stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2

Temari's cell phone had been ringing irritatingly for the past two hours-nonstop. She finally decided to pick it up and answer. With a sleepy voice, she huskily said, "Moshi…moshi?"

"Don't 'moshi moshi' me right now!" It was Shikamaru. He sounded terrified. "It's almost two o'clock and you're still sleeping?! WAKE UP, it's morning!"

Because of his shouting, Temari pulled her cell away from her ears. She also saw the time, and it was almost three, not two. Angry that her stupid friend had disturbed her beautiful sleep that she couldn't get because the kids didn't fall asleep as planned, she hanged up and ignored him.

Just after pulling the covers over her head, her phone started vibrating again. After ignoring it many times, it got to her that she sat up- fully awake from his annoyance. "What is it?!" She hissed through the phone. "I'm tired! We have school tomorrow!"

"_You_ have school, but I have a _baby!_" Shikamaru frantically exclaimed.

* * *

Temari had successfully sneaked out of her sister's and her brother-in-law's house, which her and her friends called it 'the second house' for **it had a pack of clothes, a set of lingerie, and a toothbrush already placed and kept away for whenever she slept over, which was always more than three times a week.** A freaked out Shikamaru was waiting for her at the train station who told her to just rush over and that he would explain everything in detail over there because he also needed to gather his thoughts, too.

Dressed in her oldest niece's winter clothes that she had just randomly borrowed, she nervously walked out on streets and cautiously looked out for any perverts or could-be attackers. _If Shikamaru is playing with me right now, I'm so totally going to push him over into the train tracks so he'd get run over!_ Blowing hot air into her hands, she shivered. She then came into a halt. _Wait a minute. What if…what if this is his way of getting back at me for not doing something big for his birthday?!_ She gasped in horror and quietly said to herself, "He knew that I took him to the Summer Festival because I wanted to go and it wasn't to celebrate his birthday!"

* * *

"What took you so long?!" Shikamaru walked over to her in angry footsteps. He gave her an already cooled hot coffee drink that he had bought while waiting. "I told you to get here within twenty minutes- not forty-five!"

Luckily, no one was here at the train station, well at least, no passengers yet. There were a few security guards and patrollers on job duty. He walked to lead the way to where his stuff was. He turned his head to look back when he realized Temari wasn't following. "What's wrong?'

Temari puckered up and put on her puppy eyes that always worked for Shikamaru whenever she wanted to get out of something or whenever she wanted to use him. It was almost always the latter intention. She abruptly bowed, "GOMEN!" Shikamaru full bodied turned around to face her. "Gomen! I lied. I forgot that your birthday was after mine, so I took you out for the Summer Festival as a last resort for a birthday present!" As she waited, there was no response. _As I thought, he's angry?_

On the contrary, Shikamaru chuckled out loud as he clapped. "What do you mean you forgot? And, last resort for a birthday present?" He fell down to the ground as he covered his mouth.

"What's so funny?" Temari came over to stand a few steps away from him. "What's wrong?"

"So, that's why you were so guilt-ridden that you promised to make me a bento for the entire school year!" He mockingly pointed at her, "Because you thought you forgot about my birthday!"

Temari pouted and squat down, "But, I really did." Guilt overcame her again.

Shikamaru stopped laughing and smiled as he exhaled. "You didn't. You forgot _yours._"

Temari immediately looked at him, confused. "What do you mean I forgot mine?" She stood up, angry, "I'm not that stupid to forget my own. If anyone were to forget their own, it'd be you!"

"Knowing you for years already, whenever it was your birthday, you wouldn't mind informing the whole world about your important date." He stood up, "But, that day, you didn't. It was because you had spent the entire week hopping back and forth between bundles four and seven that it made you forgot about it, huh?"

Temari glanced at him as she thought back.

"Even Matsuri was too nervous to give you her present so she decided to give it to you at the festival- a day late, and _trust_ me, Matsuri never gives _you_ anything late." He elbowed her on the arm, "You two are like a married couple who loves each other disgustingly so much to do those romantic girly things." He pretentiously shivered.

Temari quietly and sadly continued with her side of her story, "But…what about the Summer Festival…I took you there-"

"-_I_ took you there. Not you." Shikamaru confessed. He went over to her side and put an arm around her as he led her to where the seat was waiting for them. They slowly walked. "You did the invite just a step ahead of me…but, that really was my present." Temari looked at Shikamaru with confusion. "You love festivals, but you love it even more when the fire crackers are lit up in the sky and everyone is looking at the same 'star' as you." He stopped and pointed at her angrily, "I even paid for everything that you bought!"

Temari found the energy to laugh again, "Yeah…Oh! You even won me that ugly doll house."

Shikamaru gently pinched her cheek, "I know you liked it!" They laughed. "So, don't worry about it. You spending the summer festival with me was your present to me." He winked at her and she smiled back. "Well, now that everything's solved, it's—" A cough was heard and it was from neither of the two. Shikamaru knew who it was. He put his hand down from Temari and exhaled nervously as he was brought back to reality instead of staying on memory lane.

Temari looked at her friend, "What's wrong?" She perked up, "Ah, you mentioned something on the phone, didn't you?" She looked away nervously, "I wasn't fully awake at the time."

Shikamaru nodded and sarcastically said, "Oh, after seeing _this_, you _will_ be fully awake." He left her for a moment to pick up something from behind the bench. It was a medium-sized brown basket with blankets stuffed around it. Mustering his courage, he gave a look to Temari, "Come and be awakened."

Temari curiously frowned and walked over cautiously. As she neared the basket, an infant baby was revealed and she froze in shock. Slowly looking back up at Shikamaru, all she could do was point back and forth between the baby and Shikamaru trying to find out their relationship.

"No need for that. I did that too many times before I was kicked out."

Temari gasped, "KICKED OUT?!"

* * *

"A letter?" Temari took the letter that had been crumpled and stepped on by a frantic Shikamaru. "I can read it?" He nodded. When she opened it, she focused on making sure she was reading it correctly because of the wrinkles. Written on the paper was...

To Shikamaru:

You might not remember me…but, I remember you- us. Very clearly…as if what we had had in the past had just happened yesterday. This took me a lot of courage to do…to write…and…to confess. As you can see…this child…is yours.

Temari gasped and immediately glared at her friend, "You knocked up a girl!" Shikamaru immediately pushed her into a wall and covered her mouth. Luckily, it seemed no one saw or heard. At the same time, he hushed her so that they wouldn't wake up the infant. She angrily moved his hands away, "I thought you were a jerk…" he looked at her with an attitude, "…and I am correct."

Shikamaru sighed and crouched down, "Stop with the teasing." He ruffled his hair, "It can't be my kid."

Temari pulled him up with disgust, "How can you say that! You must take responsibility for your own actions!"

Shikamaru pulled back in anger, "But, it's really not my kid!" He shouted. The two are in silence. After calming down, he said…"Because…I'm still a virgin."

No one laughed. No one said anything. It was just too much. Too much, especially since it came from the cute Shikamaru who was getting redder and redder every second after what he embarrassingly confessed.

To break the silence and to solve the problem at hand, Shikamaru continued, "What happened was that the mother whom I don't know had secretly dropped the baby on our door step, and onii-san happened to opened it after a ring-and-run. He read the letter and, at the same time, okaa-san, who was going to leave with my Father to his convention, came and saw the letter and fainted." He turned around and put his hands in the air in exhaustion, "Of course, that brought attention to o-tou-san who came running in to see what was going on and...Well, as you can tell, that's when I got kicked out." He deeply let out a long breath of air after marathoning the long and detailed sentence in one take of air.

Temari put the letter down near the basket and walked over to him. "You guys didn't discuss this?" she looked at him, "I thought your father was the 'discussing' type and my father was the 'over-analyzing' type." Temari decided to add in a joke, "Since when did they switch roles?"

Shikamaru let out a sarcastic air of laugh, "Oh, _they_ did the discussing while _I _was only allowed to just do three things." Temari waited for him to answer. "I was only allowed to tell who the mother was, when and how this happened, and to admit that it is my child!" He grabbed his head and hissed, "But, it's not my child!"

"I know." Temari calmly said. Shikamaru stopped freaking out and gave her the oh-can-you-stop-it look. "I know it's not your child."

Shikamaru loudly exhaled, "I think it's time we put our joking aside." He snickered with a confident attitude, "My _real_ baby will be cuter than that one."

Temari shook her head. With her natural soft tone of voice, she said, "No. Not that. I'm being serious." She headed over to him. "I _know_ it's not your child because I _know_ you." She looked away, "Yeah, we may not have been friends long enough to say this, but you gotta admit, we hang out almost every day ever since we became friends. You know my secrets, and I know yours." She gave him a hug to calm him down, "You know me…and I know you."

* * *

Shikamaru popped open the coffee drink and handed it to Temari. She accepted it and took a sip. "Thanks. Thanks for what you said earlier."

Temari smiled back. "That's what friends are for."

Shikamaru laughed, "No. Actually, that's what you're here for." He stopped and gave one beautiful smile to her, "I'm glad you're my friend." Temari shyly looked down.

Just then, a security guard came over, "Young kids. It's almost four, are you two lost?"

Shikamaru stood up, "Oh, no, sir. I'm waiting for the five o'clock train." He pointed to Temari, "She's just a friend keeping me company." Not suspicious of the two, the security guard nodded and left them alone.

The moment Shikamaru sat down, Temari angrily looked at him. "What do you mean you're taking the five o'clock train?! You didn't say anything about that. To where? Why?"

Shikamaru hoped he didn't had to blurt it out until it was time because he knew Temari would had flipped, but because they were questioned, he had to. "By kicking me out…my father meant…to not stay in the same city as him." He sighed, "That's how far he wanted me to be away from the family."

Temari stood up and scoffed, "But he's hardly home! He's married to his second wife- his research lab!" Because she was too loud, she woke up the baby and it started crying. Shikamaru panicked for he didn't want to go through the baby's constant crying again. Luckily, the cry didn't last any longer than five seconds.

Temari had stopped the infant from crying as she immediately took the baby out of the basket and rocked it. She playfully tapped the chin of the baby as she murmured some cute baby sounds to tell the baby that someone was there for it. Rocking sideways back and forth, Temari smiled when the baby was fast asleep again. "How many months?" She looked back at her friend with glowing eyes.

Shikamaru's eyes widen, "Don't tell me—you! Don't start fawning over it!"

"She's so cute! Who could ever throw this baby away?" Temari gently kissed the baby on the forehead.

Shikamaru turned to the side and angrily muttered, "Well, apparently, it wasn't too cute enough that its own mother didn't want it."

"Shikamaru!" Temari hissed at him when she heard that. She immediately went back to becoming angelic to the infant.

"By the way, it's not a girl. It's a boy."

"A boy?!" Temari's glow glistened even more when she heard of the baby's gender. "Yay!"

Shikamaru looked at her weirdly as he came to sat back down on the bench, "What's up with you?'

"I've always wanted a boy…" she looked back up, "You know how girls are."

"You're a girl?" he interrupted with his mean joke. After getting a look, he looked away and allowed Temari to continue.

"I think most moms want sons first to be the big brother to protect the younger sister. **I want that kind of family**." Said Temari as she smiled while looking at the baby and caressing him.

"You don't want a girl?" Shikamaru asked, "I thought most girls want girls as their first child so they can do girl stuff together."

Temari nodded and sat down while still carrying the baby, "That, too. But, I know that if girls are too spoiled, they can grow up to be a bit too dramatic." She shook her head, "I don't want my daughter ending up being so-"

"Like Matsuri?" The two friends laugh.

Matsuri was a rich, spoiled girl for she was the only child. Fortunately for Shikamaru and Temari, she wasn't a stuck-up or a rude rich princess like every other drama-made snobby rich girl on T.V., though, she can be a bit feisty, way more than Temari, especially since she always spoke her mind, and thus she had little tact.

"Then, what about the baby?" Temari asked as she looked up, "What about you?" Finally, she asked the most painful question of them all, "What about us?"

It was quiet. He had too much to think about on his mind now. But, hearing the questions Temari had just asked stabbed his heart. Shikamaru inhaled deeply, "Well, I'm thinking that with all money I have, oh it's only four-hundred-and-twenty-six yen, I'll move to Yokohama, live in the countryside, find an old couple and work there for life." He then glared off in the distance as his imagination get to him, "Then, when this brat grows up, I'm going to force him to pay me all that I've done for him."

Temari nudged him, "That's sweet."

Shikamaru raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

Temari grinned, "I think it's sweet that you're not leaving him…even though he's not your child."

"Of course I wouldn't leave him." Shikamaru happily said. Then, he changed his expression to a scowl, "He's the one who got me into this mess, so I'm going to make sure I'm going to make a mess in_ his_ life!"

Temari laughed at the stupid thought of her friend. "How is he going to ruin your life?" She started poking the baby's cheek and cutely mocked Shikamaru, "Why, is this baby going to grow up and keep on crying and make you die out of panic?"

"No!" Shikamaru embarrassingly said. He tried to hide the fact that he had thought of that. They both knew he wasn't good with kids. Heck, they both knew the three things he was ever only good at: flirting, picking up girls, and saying cheesy lines that he memorized from films or stupid magazines. "I meant," he coughed to clear his throat while thinking for a more reasonable answer, "I meant…that with a baby now, I can't get married."

Hearing this, Temari looked up as if she had just realized something very important. Soon, she wasn't paying attention to what Shikamaru was saying; However, dumb as he was, Shikamaru still continued, "I mean, who wants to marry someone who already had a kid- I mean, it's really not mine, but-"

"Hey!" Temari stopped him in his tracks. "I've got an idea!"

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru saw the glow glistened oh, so ever more than it was so.

Temari smirked, "This plan…will still allow you to get married!"

Hearing this and with a small glimpse of hope, an excited Shikamaru turned to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, "What do you mean?!"

"I call it, Plan B."

* * *

Okay, so I'm posting this chapter a day earlier because I'll be busy tomorrow and probably won't have time to squeeze in uploading this. XD

Thanks and enjoy!

Next Chapter will be published on: January 15, 2014 [TUESDAY]

HAPPY [ONE DAY EARYLY] NEW YEAR!


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you going to tell them?" Shikamaru stopped Temari from entering her own house. They had slept for a while at the train station and ditched school to start on Temari's plan, Plan B. "You haven't even told me what Plan B is!"

Temari shrugged off Shikamaru's hands that were around her, "You don't need to know. Besides, if you let me go now, you'll know then."

"Please tell me?" Shikamaru put off his hands away from her. He pointed to the baby still sound asleep in the basket, "What are you going to do about the baby?"

"BABY?!" Someone's voice that was familiar to Temari was heard from behind the stone walls. The couple rushed to the nearby gate to see who it was. "Baby?!" It was Temari's mother who had heard the couple. She was in her gardening outfit and was holding onto a water hose. She covered her mouth and loudly gasped when she saw the infant in the basket hold by Shikamaru like a baby's car seat. She pointed at the couple, "Temari…! You!"

Temari stopped her mother from finishing her version of what could had possibly happened, "It's not what you're thinking." Temari calmed down. _It's now…or never._ "It's with another guy."

* * *

Shikamaru was waiting outside because Temari said she wanted to do this alone and for him to just get ready for her when she came out. Alone, Temari was sitting down at the kitchen table of the Shida family and had the baby in the basket beside her. In disbelief, the mother of Temari woke her husband up to hear the abrupt news of their youngest daughter.

"Sit here, Danna-sama," The Mother helped her sleepy husband sit down on a chair. She then rushed over to the opposite side and sat down, too. Temari heard her whispered, "Danna, please tell me you heard something else after she tells you, okay?" Her husband nodded while shoving her away gently with his hand. Sighing while trying to keep a smile, Lady Shida looked at her daughter, and with a trembling voice, she said, "You can say it one more time."

Temari smiled and clasped her hands. "O-tou-san. O-kaa-san." She gave them each a look. "I have a child."

"We knew you went to sleepover at Mariko's." Temari's father said as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "She called us."

**Whenever she said any word that was related to 'kid', 'child', and etc, they always knew she was referring to her nieces and nephews.**

"She also called to say that Temari wasn't seen this morning," Temari's mother butted in. "Continue on." She sounded as if she was hyperventilating.

Temari shook her head, "No, not _them_. My _own_." She pulled up the basket and placed it in the middle of the table for everyone to see. Her parents glanced over. Temari's sleepy father massaged his eyes a couple of times to test if he was correctly seeing a baby. "It's my child." Hearing an affirmed Temari making her claim, her mother began sobbing and her father lay back in his chair as he absorbed everything.

When finished, Temari's father stood up. "…You have a child? With the boy outside?"

Temari stood up to protect Shikamaru's name and reputation, "No, o-tou-san, I—"

Her father slapped her across her face. "Don't you call me o-tou-san!" His anger burst. "I didn't raise any sluts!" He turned to look away with fuming anger, "What did we do wrong to have you become like this?!" He turned back around and with a pained expression, he continued, "we made sure you would be the one who wouldn't get married at a young age or wouldn't elope with their boyfriend…but, it turned out you were the one who would be pregnant before marriage!" He exhaled, "We thought we were doing our best in protecting you and your future."

Hearing the insult from her own father and their honest judgment of her, she became disappointed. _I need to do this for myself._ With tears dripping down because of the pain from the slap, pain from the past, and pain from all the anxiety she had had that she would finally end it today, she managed to retaliate back, **"You guys weren't being protective! You guys were keeping me locked up! I have to come home right after school, you guys always ask for my schedule from my homeroom teacher, and I am only allowed to have girls as friends." **

She sarcastically laughed before continuing, " Oh, and, do you know how many 'houses' I have?" She raised a hand, "FIVE! I practically live with my sisters and brothers and hop back over here whenever I need something. I sleep, eat, _and_ live at other places that aren't this house that still says that I'm not a married woman yet!" She wiped her tears, "I am through with being a virtual mother to kids that aren't even mine! Stupid thing is, their own parents are right there, and yet they can't even watch their own kids!"

Just then, the door to their house opened and in popped Mariko with her two youngest daughters who weren't in school yet. "Oh, Temari! Where were you?!" She placed the youngest child that she was holding to the ground and came over. When she noticed the strange atmosphere, saw Temari crying, and a baby in the basket, she knew something was up. "Um, a baby-"

"Hers!" Temari's father said as he shouted into Mariko's face. "She was pregnant!"

Mariko covered her mouth and pointed behind her, "With the boy outside?!"

Temari scoffed, "Shikamaru has nothing to do with this!"

"Then, why is he here?" Temari's mother asked as she was comforted by Mariko who came over to her side. "The only friend you've introduced to us was Matsuri."

Temari laughed sarcastically, "Do you want to know why I don't introduce you to all of my friends?" She pursed her lips together, "**Because there is also the male gender that you and o-tou-san tried to desperately forget and get rid of in my life, I have a few guy friends that I've kept as a secret because I didn't want o-tou-san flipping out with his over-analyzation and overly exaggerated conclusions**."

**"Guy friends?" Temari's father mockingly laughed as he didn't believe her. "More like boyfriends."**

Temari held it in, "Sure, think of them in any way you want…because you will always think of them in that way." Her family looked at her confusingly, "I get it. All of my sisters got married at a young age, or got pregnant too fast, or eloped to marry a man who is ten years older," Temari looked at Mariko to imply that she was referring to her, "...and none of them finished college." She then pointed to herself, "But, that doesn't mean that I can't hang out afterschool, go to birthday parties that aren't family-related, or sleepovers that aren't family-related or do anything that aren't family-related just because you fear that I might do something similar to that."

Mariko sighed and came over to Temari and put a hand on her shoulder, "Temari, you're too young to have a child, and I say that because I _know_. I've been through it-"

Temari shoved her sister's hand away from her shoulders and furiously said, "No, you _don't_ know! You didn't know then, and you don't know now!"

"Temari!" Her father shouted once again, "That's your older sister! Have some respect!"

"Respect?" Temari scoffed as more tears dripped, "That's the reason that had brought me to this mess! Respect." She took a deep breath before saying the next thing. She had always held this in, and today, she was going to say it all. "It's because of respect that I always felt obliged to watch everyone's kids. It's because of respect, that I always can't say no. It's because of respect that I've always put your stupid 'needs' first before mine. It's because of respect, that I have been tamed to fear all of you because I respected you as my elders who I thought were wise, kind-hearted, and understanding." She gently shook her head in disgust, "Unfortunately, all of my respect went to waste because all of you are stupid, selfish, and judgmental!"

"TEMARI!" Her father was about to come over, but Mariko stopped him.

"Let me deal with this, o-tou-san." Pursing her lips together, Mariko apologized, "Gomen. I really didn't know that's how you felt."

"Of course you didn't know!" Temari interrupted again, "You were so busy 'booking' me every day so you can have your own free time!" She grabbed the basket, "Well, here's a heads up about my schedule: I'm no longer free now or in the future. It's time I pass the baton to you…and you should start learning how to be a mom before you tell _me_ that I can't watch a kid." Temari started heading out to the door and then turned back, "I've got enough experience from raising _all_ of your four kids by myself while you were so busy talking on the phone with your friends while you…" She laughed to mock Mariko, "…yeah, right, **a stay at home mother**. As if."

* * *

"Does it hurt?" Shikamaru asked Temari. They were at a nearby park. Shikamaru handed her a cold water bottle that he bought at a vending machine and she used it as a remedy for her bruised face. "What happened? Did your plan B backfired?" He popped open his water bottle, "What was plan B anyway?"

Temari sighed, "Let's not talk about that now." She tapped him on the back, "Now, you can still stay in Tokyo…and with your family."

"What about the baby?" He pointed to the basket. Temari knew she can't keep what just happened from him, so she decided to say, but was too surprised to say anything when her attention was caught by her friends. They got up and greeted them, "Yo! Got here pretty fast!"

Temari tugged Shikamaru, "You called them here?"

Naruto stepped in, "No. We didn't see you guys at school, so we thought you guys ditched. So, after texting Shikamaru, you guys _did_ ditched!" He playfully hit Shikamaru for revenge as they thought Shikamaru and Temari were having fun without them.

Matsuri came over with a snide smile, "I didn't know you had this wild side."

Temari laughed, "What do you mean?"

"You ditching school!" Matsuri answered, "I mean, you're so uptight and whatnot."

Shikamaru almost spit out the water from his mouth. He pointed at Temari, "This girl? Uptight? You kidding?" He capped his bottle, "This girl has the nastiest mouth on earth…" Right before he was going to get hit by Temari, he quickly added, "Well, second to Matsuri." Everyone laughed at the twisted ending…and undeniable truth. Even Matsuri bashfully admitted to it.

"So, what were you two doing?" Gaara asked, "There's nothing much to do at a park…and if we're seen in our school clothes by a police officer, we could be sent back to school." Before anyone could reply, the baby started crying and it brought attention to it. The friends blinked so much when they saw Temari and Shikamaru attending to it.

Matsuri pulled Temari away while she was trying to rock the baby, "Oi, don't touch a stranger's baby! Someone might think that you're harming it!" Naruto and Gaara immediately surrounded Temari to not let anyone see as they agreed with Matsuri.

Temari rolled her eyes and looked at Shikamaru, "You told them to come, but you didn't tell them about the baby?"

"BABY?!" The left out friends looked at one another and then at the baby. Again, like the past surprised victims, they pointed to the baby, then to Shikamaru and then linked it to Temari.

Seeing this and understanding what they meant, Shikamaru and Temari backed away in disgust and simultaneously shouted, "NO!" Their loud voices made the baby wailed even louder. Temari moved away from the group with Matsuri to calm the baby down while the boys stood back.

Shikamaru put a hand on Gaara's chest, "Before any of you say anything, how much money do you two have on you?"

"Why?" They asked.

Shikamaru sneered, "Boys, it seems that summer break is back on!"

* * *

"He really is cute!" Matsuri cutely complimented the baby. The gang had taken the train and subway station to stay at Gaara's family resort for the week until everything was settled. As for school, well, they got Naruto's older brother to individually pretend to be the parent of the gang to excuse them from school in return for not ratting out that Naruto's older brother was dating a married woman.

"You told him to say it's because we're sick with 'babyitis'?" Gaara asked as he winced.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Shikamaru laughed, "If you were going to make things up, why not tell them the truth that we all have summer-itis?" Hearing this, everyone but him cracked up. He frowned, "What- why are you guys laughing? What's so funny?"

"You're stupid, that's what's funny!" Temari shouted in between laughs. Hearing this, everyone else laughed even louder.

Scowling, Shikamaru walked over to the baby when he saw it flinched at the loud laughs, "Ssshh, you're going to make him cry!"

Everyone calmed themselves down. Naruto took off his shoes and rested on the bed. He looked up at Shikamaru, "So, now that we're here, you can tell us, right?"

"Yeah, whose baby is it?" Matsuri asked as she went over to sit next to Gaara. "It can't be your guys'."

Temari came over to where Shikamaru was having trouble picking up the baby, "You can tell them. I'll watch over him."

"Ne, speaking of the baby, does he have a name?" Gaara asked as he glanced over. Temari and Shikamaru shook their heads.

"Well, anyway…here's what happened…"

* * *

"So, what was Plan B?" Shikamaru had just finished explaining what had happened so far up to the current moment. He directed his question at Temari who came out of the bedroom after placing the baby to sleep. She came over to sit next to Shikamaru after forcing him to make space for her.

"Yeah, how will it allow Shikamaru to go back home?" Naruto asked.

"You can tell us." Matsuri inserted. "We're here for you two."

Temari scratched her jaw, something she did whenever she was hesitant or uncomfortable. Being the only one who knew this because he had seen it many times, Shikamaru helped her.

With a gentle and assuring voice, he said, "Okay, okay. Fine. We'll wait." He looked at her, "I'll wait."

* * *

"Matsuri, your cell's ringing!" Gaara shouted. It was seven-something in the evening and the boys had ordered room service and rented a few films and games to entertain themselves. At the same time, they had to deal with Temari popping her head out every now and then to hush them from the bedroom to remind them that there was a baby sleeping in the room.

"She's really using her mother's instincts on us, huh?" Naruto asked as he looked at the screen. He was playing a game with Shikamaru while Gaara went to see his girlfriend, who was in the bathroom fixing her hair, to give her the cell phone call she had missed.

"Can't blame her." Shikamaru said without mercy to Naruto in the game, "It must be her way of panicking."

"Nah." Naruto said. "I think it's because there is a baby in there…and she just knows what to do with it and we don't."

Shikamaru glanced over at him, "…Yeah, it's more that." The two boys laughed.

The bathroom door opened and out came a very pissed off Matsuri with Gaara following her around to calm her down. They received the hint from Gaara that the caller was Matsuri's father, so Shikamaru and Naruto crowded around her to keep reminding her to not yell or shout if she were to speak, because that was always the usual conversation between Matsuri and her father.

Naruto gave up after Matsuri squeezed his ear, and Shikamaru backed away. He said to Gaara, "It's your girlfriend, so you calm her down." He headed to the room where Temari and the baby were in. "I'm going to check up on her."

Shikamaru gently opened the door to the room and entered. He saw Temari lying on the bed on her side. _She kept popping her head out to hush us 'cause she just wanted some sleep._ He thought of an idea to scare her by shoving her off of the bed since she was so close to it. _It wasn't for the baby, you…_He stopped walking when finally he saw the baby sleeping closely next to Temari. _They're sleeping together._ Seeing this scene made his stomach flutter in happiness. This was the best scene he had seen of all…and he knew why. It had his best friend Temari and an angelic baby, cuddled together, fast asleep.

Before he knew it, his feet dragged him to climb onto the bed to lie on the opposite side of the baby. When he was comfortable, he saw that the baby was holding onto Temari's pinky. He continued to laugh to himself. _What a mother she is to him._ When he looked at her, he saw the bruised cheek and became curious. He didn't want to push her for an answer because it would've been insensitive, but he really wanted to know what had happened. Using his left hand to balance his head, his right hand reached over to move the hair that was covering part of Temari's face. At this moment, Temari woke up in shock from seeing him on the same bed that she fell over. He was about to get up to help her when his abrupt movement made the baby flinched and he became too scared to move.

Temari's head popped from under the bed. She hissed at him, "What were you doing? You scared me!"

He raised a hand to apologize, "Gomen. It's just—I don't know!"

Temari got up and tapped her clothes free of dust. "Oi, why are you in here?"

Gaara slowly got off of the bed, "Ah, Matsuri's talking with her dad on the phone."

Temari became alert, "No, we can't have her shouting and screaming."

"That's why I came here to check in on you." Shikamaru said in a sing-song voice. He stopped and said to himself, "Oh, that's what I was going to do."

"No time for that! Matsuri first!" They both jolted out the room and saw Matsuri packing up. "What's wrong?' They simultaneously asked.

"My father proposed to the gold-digging wrench and I'm going to stop him from marrying her!" Matsuri shouted. Gaara and Naruto slapped a finger at her mouth but quickly shoved it away when she opened her mouth ready to bite any of it off. "Gomen ne, I'll be back tomorrow."

"You're going alone?" Temari asked. "Let Gaara take you. He's your boyfriend."

"You guys don't need him/me?" Matsuri and Gaara asked.

Shikamaru laughed, "We just needed him to find us a place to stay." They laughed, "Matsuri's safety comes first."

"You know what," Temari interrupted, "Naruto, you should leave, too." Everyone looked at her, "I mean, it's only Shikamaru and me that are in this. We shouldn't have involved all of you."

Matsuri pouted and came over to give Temari a hug, "Baka, you're not involving us in anything! Even if you guys didn't or won't, I'd absolutely find a way to be involved." She gave her a smile after pulling away.

"Told ya she's scary," Naruto purposely said out loud. Everyone laughed again.

"Thanks, guys." Temari said as Shikamaru agreed. "But, seriously, Naruto…you should leave with them. I still think it's best for you guys to be less involved in this. Friends gotta look out for one another."

Naruto sighed and dragged his body to get his stuff, "Okay, if you're that persistent." He hugged Temari and then shook Shikamaru's hand before taking off with Matsuri and Gaara, "I'll see you guys first thing in the morning."

"Well, duh. Where else are you going to go? We can't go to school because we have 'babyitis'." Matsuri said as she teased Naruto.

Gaara corrected his girlfriend as he gave a look at Shikamaru, "No, it's 'summer-itis', remember?" The gang laughed again, uncontrollably.

Shikamaru blew out air to express his frustration at the inside joke he didn't get, "Okay, seriously, what's so funny?"

"Your-'

"-Stupidity!" Shikamaru finished Temari's sentence before she could. It was something she'd always say when the time was right. "Tell me," he cutely begged Temari.

Everyone waited for Temari's answer. It was up to her whether or not she'd tell him. After calming down and catching her breath, she said, "Ryo-chan, 'summer-itis' _isn't_ a real sickness." Everyone but Shikamaru laughed again.

"But, but—" Shikamaru stuttered, "-all of you guys said that it was a sickness that commonly happened in the summer!"

Gaara broke free from his laughter, "Dude, it was actually just a brain freeze, not summer-itis!"

"Eh, so it was just a brain freeze?!" Shikamaru felt like a fool…heck, he was a fool for almost two months. He knew who the real mastermind of this joke was and he was going to attack. "It was…YOU!" He immediately hugged Temari and started tickling her as she pleaded guilty. When she fell down the floor gasping for air, he knew it was his win. He did his victory dance and then helped her up. Then, it was back to bidding their friends goodbye.

At the door, Matsuri said to Temari, "I'll call you to tell you what happened."

Temari nodded, "Okay. Good luck."

* * *

Awaken from his occasional dry throat, Shikamaru got up from the sofa to get a drink of water. He noticed that Temari wasn't in the room with him, sleeping on the bed with the baby. The lamp was on, so he figured that Temari was probably up somewhere. As he neared the slightly opened door to the living room, he heard Temari talking to someone. He looked carefully and saw that she was on the phone. _Who is she speaking with?_ A sudden realization hit him. _Ah, Matsuri._ Just when he was about to open the door, something shocking came out of Temari's mouth.

"I'm going to keep the baby…not Shikamaru."

* * *

This was published on: January 15, 2014 [Wed]

Next chapter will be published on: February 1, 2014 [Sat]

Thank you for reading, commenting, reviewing, subscribing, favoriting! Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

"G' Morning!" Matsuri happily greeted Temari at the door. She raised her hands to show that she had done some grocery shopping, much to Temari's surprise.

"Thank you!" Temari hugged Matsuri and let her in. They headed into the kitchen.

Matsuri pouted when she saw Naruto playing game on the sofa, "Aw, you got here before me?"

Naruto clicked his tongue, "Yep. I wanted to continue my game from yesterday."

Matsuri helped Temari washed the vegetables, "That's why you're here?"

Naruto paused his game and stuttered, "N-n-no! Of- of course not!" He smiled to Temari, "I'm here for you, Shikamaru, and that cutie!"

The doorbell rang again and Matsuri glared at Naruto for lying, "Go get the door." Obeying, he did so, and it was Gaara who came in with more grocery bags. This time, he brought all sorts of desserts and junk food. Matsuri came over to her boyfriend as she rummaged through it, "You know what I just realized?" Her boyfriend raised a brow, "This is your family resort…why didn't we just call for room service like yesterday?" The group froze in stupidity after that realization. They laughed it off.

"Oh, well. It's better since you girls are cooking it yourselves. Besides, we're having a barbeque, right?" Gaara hugged his girlfriend.

Naruto took a cupcake from the bag, "Don't you mean Temari doing the cooking." He looked at Matsuri, "We all know someone here can't cook." Angry, Matsuri  
grabbed a celery stick that was nearby and started chasing Naruto around to smack him for teasing her.

Gaara walked over to Temari and looked around, "Where's…Shikamaru?"

Temari smiled, "He's still knocked out."

"What time did you guys go to sleep?"

"I went to bed before he did, so I don't know what time he went to sleep." She moved the vegetables to the side and turned around to open the fridge to put it away, "But, anyone would've been exhausted after a situation like that."

Gaara yawned and stretched, "Yeah, I gotta admit. Suddenly becoming a father to a kid." He looked at Temari, "I'm glad you were there for him." He stood up straight, "Thanks." He walked away to save Naruto from the chase. Temari gave a depressed look at her friends. _I didn't do it for him. I'm doing it for me._ She decided to get rid of the thinking by cooking. _Now, I'm the jerk._

* * *

"Yo!" Naruto greeted Shikamaru when Shikamaru bumped into him at the door of the bedroom. "About time you woke up. It's nine!" Naruto gave him a muffin that he was going to take for himself, "Here." He grabbed another one for him this time, "Everyone's here."

Shikamaru looked around, "Where's Temari?' With a big bite on his muffin, Naruto pointed to the outside yard. "Thanks." He headed that way in search of Temari with Naruto following. When he got outside, the fresh smell of various grilled seafood and steak made him hungry, but he had to put that away for he needed to talk to Temari urgently. "Hey, how long are you guys staying here?"

Gaara turned around after eating a sliced portion of steak fed by Matsuri, "We're staying over until everything's solved."

"Well, except for me…" Matsuri scowled, "I got a proposal to crash." She looked back up, "Why?"

Shikamaru exhaled, "You guys can't stay over…at least, not tonight."

Temari closed the lid of the grill and walked over to the group, "Why? What's wrong?" She gasped, "Oi, the baby!" Before she could take a step away, Shikamaru held her by the elbow.

"The baby is what's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Temari sensed that Shikamaru wasn't in a good mood. "Are you okay?"

Shikamaru decided to cut to the chase because this was too important to beat around the bush, "I heard what you and Matsuri were talking about last night.

* * *

"You're planning to keep the baby?!" Naruto and Gaara exclaimed when Shikamaru explained every single thing from what he had heard last night between the conversations of the two girls. Everybody had come into the living room to have a full-honest discussion.

Naruto sat on top of the kitchen table and rummaged through the bowl of fruits, "I get it that he's one cute baby, and knowing you and your love for kids, but—"

"That's not why I'm doing it." Temari interrupted Naruto. _They deserve the truth and I don't want to hide it from them at all._ "I'm doing it for me."

'What do you mean you're doing it for you?" Shikamaru asked. "That baby was dropped at my door, not yours."

"Shikamaru…**I hate kids now**." Temari finally broke down as she spoke the horrific words. Matsuri rushed over to give her a hug.

Shikamaru pulled back. "You..hate…kids?"

**Matsuri pulled away and spoke for Temari because she knew it'd be too painful for Temari to explain. "Guys…for a year now…Temari has been emotionally unstable." She saw the boys' shocked expression. "One side of Temari wants to continue watching over her siblings' kids to return all the good deeds they had helped and done to Temari, and she wants have a bond with all her nieces and nephews, but another side of her feels used and emotionally tired because of all the house-hopping that she does. She rarely gets any time to herself because she's always surrounded by kids that aren't hers. **Not only that…but, the reason why she didn't make it in the top ten this year was because of her babysitting obligations." The boys knew about Temari not making in the top ten, knew about the house-hopping, but they definitely didn't knew that she was emotionally conflicted.

Feeling bad for never noticing, Shikamaru gave her a hug and patted her head. "You doofus. I told you were too stupid…" He then whispered, "…and kind."

Breaking the sad atmosphere, Naruto then asked, "So…why keep the baby?" He laughed when he realized he sounded a bit insensitive when all eyes were on him, "I mean…what's the baby for?"

Temari, still being hugged by Shikamaru, wiped her tears, "I want to see if I really do hate kids…"

"…and…by keeping the baby…?" Shikamaru asked.

"…I want to love kids again." Temari honestly answered.

Matsuri pulled back, "I told her that she doesn't need to worry about that now. In the future, she can start worrying about kids when she gets married."

"But, I don't want to get married knowing that I hate kids." Temari exclaimed. "They're sweet angels that are blessings…and yet…I hate them for no reason."

Shikamaru moved Temari to look at him, "You're not hating kids. You're just hating yourself because you _think_ you hate kids." He wiped a tear away and gave her a smiling and calming look, "Yesterday, when I went into the room to get you, I saw you sleeping happily with him. What I wished you could've seen was the little baby holding onto your pinky." Shikamaru linked his pinky with hers and she let out a laugh. "You've always loved kids, and you always will."

A sudden doorbell rang interrupted the scene. The gang looked at one another. They were pretty sure that all five of them were here and they didn't have another person they were waiting for. They had also informed the workers to not bother them unless it was for an emergency. Being the closest to the door, Gaara opened it.

"May I come in?" The person asked. It was a male's voice.

Shikamaru jumped up. "Oh, this voice!"

Gaara entered the room again, "Shikamaru, it's your brother."

* * *

Temari closed the bedroom door behind her after a quick glance at how the baby was doing in the bed alone. The boy was still sleeping. _As expected. Infants are usually still tired until they're almost half a year old._ She knew all of this thanks to her babysitting. Remembering about it, she pouted. She walked over to sit on the couch next to Naruto, who was next to Gaara. They sat across Kakashi, Shikamaru's brother. Gaara and Matsuri sat on a couch diagonally across from them.

"Nice place you've got here," Kakashi began. "I knew you'd be here." He looked at Temari, and pointed to her cheek, "Figures, since that happened." Temari immediately knew that Kakashi knew what happened between her parents and her and it must've gotten the information the same way he got information about them being here.

"How'd you find out?" asked Shikamaru. He looked back and forth between Temari and Kakashi, "What happened? Besides, I'm pretty sure Dad and Mom wouldn't even want you here since I'm here."

"That's why it's a secret." Kakashi said. He placed a finger at his lips. "Well, didn't you know Temari-"

"DON'T SAY ANYTHING!" Temari shouted. Her shout woke the baby up and it started crying very loudly. She rushed into the room and picked him up and started rocking it. As for the people in the living room, they became curious as to what Temari was hiding.

Shikamaru glared at his brother, "Tell me what happened?" He paused before continuing, "Is it something related to the bruise on her face?"

"Bruise?!" The friends gasped. None of them had realized Temari had had a bruise all day. Matsuri moved over to take Temari's spot, "She didn't tell me anything about that!"

"Kakashi," Temari popped out with the baby, "please, I'll tell them myself." Kakashi nodded and looked at the baby with saddened eyes. Still rocking the baby, she confessed, "I lied to my parents and said that this child was mine."

Everybody but Kakashi stood up in shocked.

"You what?!" Shikamaru moved closer to her. He couldn't believe it. "So, that was your Plan B? To take off the baggage of something we _didn't_ commit?!"

Temari backed away, "Look, whatever happened had happened already. I don't mind and I don't regret it." She smiled and glanced at the baby before looking at her friends, "That day was the best day of my life." She caressed the baby, "This little bundle of joy gave me the courage I needed to break free from the chains that had been holding me back." No one said anything. The scene of them two was just too sweet to intervene.

"Eh, so you're keeping the baby?" Kakashi asked in a sense of relief. He saw the eyes that were staring at him to tell them how he had found out, "Oh, I was trying to get a trail on Shikamaru, and so through little information, I found out he had visited the Shida-family. When I went to greet them, they angrily said that they didn't know a person named Temari. Then your sister...I believe, told me about what happened and said that Temari had left with a boy." Kakashi sighed, "Figuring that it was Shikamaru, I went to the school, and that's when I saw the kids ditching and ever since then, I've been following."

"Why didn't you pop out then?" Shikamaru asked.

"Answer mine…and it'll answer yours." Kakashi said. Everyone but Temari who was still rocking the little baby sat back down. "Are you planning to keep the kid, or give it up for adoption or the orphanage center?"

Knowing that his best friend Temari had already taken a huge change in her life and had absolutely nothing as of now, he didn't hesitate to answer, "Of course I'm going to give it up!"

"Shikamaru!" Temari hissed. "You! Why?!"

"Why?!" Shikamaru rhetorically asked. "It's because you just lost everything for that one brat!"

Angry at how Shikamaru's calling the baby, she headed over to Kakashi, "Fine. If he gives the baby up, I'll do the paperwork to get the baby." Shikamaru leaped back down into this seat out of frustration. "Kakashi, please…I want this baby." She began to stutter, "I-I know…I'm still a student with no wage and whatnot, but-but, but give me time! I'll be working for Matsuri's family soon- and!"

Kakashi calmed her down. "Don't worry. I'm going to help you."

Temari blinked. She stopped speaking. Everyone was stunned at Kakashi's words. Temari looked at him confusingly, "What- what do you mean?"

"I'll buy you a house, I'll pay for the rent, I'll give you a job, everything-anything." Kakashi answered.

Shikamaru glared at his older brother, "Why? Why are you going to help her?"

Kakashi looked back at his younger brother, "Actually, she's going to be helping me."

"What do you mean?" Temari asked.

"...I'm ... going to find his real mother."

"Mother?!" Everyone said in sync.

Temari looked back and forth between the two brothers, "But, Shikamaru said that the mom left after a ring-and-run. How would you even know-um, find her?!"

Kakashi sat back, "Well, here's the answer to Shikamaru's previous question about why I didn't pop up yesterday. It was because I've received a lead on the whereabouts of his real mother. So, I left to get the info before coming here."

Once again, the gang stood up in surprise. "NO…WAY…!" They said in shock.

"Well, of course it was through many connections…but, even if I do have a lead…I can't guarantee you that this will be a quick case." Kakashi explained. "You see…the lead…points to Hokkaido." The gang waited for him to continue, "I don't know where exactly, but that's a start."

Temari thought for a moment. "So…what you're saying is…I will be raising this baby while you go on a hunt for his real mother? Just only until then?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Yes, b~ut, you're going to be _paid_ to raise this kid until his mother is found."

* * *

Kakashi had left before they've fully come to a closure and decision because he was called to a business meeting. The gang had been quiet ever since. Temari decided to lay the baby on the couch since it seemed that it won't be going back to sleep again.

"Shikamaru," she finally spoke, "no matter what you're going to say…I really am going to do this." The two friends' looks declared their different decision on the situation.

* * *

It had been a long day. A _very _long day for the gang. Shikamaru and Temari hadn't spoken to one another ever since everything had been spilled. Shikamaru was upset at Temari for carrying out her Plan B, and Temari was upset about Shikamaru seriously giving the baby away. To calm herself down, she decided to head back into the room to sleep through the day and problem.

"Hey, I think you guys should just head on back home." Shikamaru said. "Tomorrow, I'll put an end to this for once and for all when Kakashi comes again."

Gaara agreed. He grabbed his and his girlfriend's jacket, "Yeah. I think that is for the best." He shook Shikamaru's hand and then headed out with Naruto and Matsuri. After he closed and locked the door, he took a deep breath before entering the bedroom to also change and take a shower.

Right before he was going to open the door, he heard Temari playfully playing with the baby inside the bedroom. He smiled to himself because he had never really seen or heard how Temari babysat. All he knew was that she was really loved by her 'kids' back at home. He decided to peep in by cracking the door opened a little bit. Inside, he saw the baby lying down on the bed, wide awake with Temari on top of it, talking to him in a cute voice. Of course, still being an infant, there was no response- no laugh, no giggle, nothing. That was, until Shikamaru saw a big smile of Temari.

Temari grinned to herself for she had just made the baby smile. She sat on the bed and started kissing the baby all over. Too cute for just a kiss, Temari gently put the baby in her arms and hugged him with her back facing Shikamaru. "You are so adorable! Oh, I can't wait until you can start making expressions!" She glanced at the baby, "Thank you… Natsu."

Shikamaru closed the door behind him. He didn't want to invade their time together. He couldn't help but smile all the way as he watched her played with the baby. "Natsu…"

* * *

"Here, water." Temari passed Kakashi a cup of water. Kakashi had arrived just moments ago. Before anyone could speak, the room was already filled with tension.

"Where's the baby?" Kakashi asked. "Is he in the room?"

Temari smiled, "Yeah, still asleep. Infants aren't usually active until they're at least half a year old because they're still trying to adapt to the new environmental change from a mother's stomach to a place with light and air. She and Kakashi laughed.

"Wow, I learned something unexpected today." Kakashi complimented, "You should work with our father. He'd love what you had just said." He scrunched up his face. "It sounded so…science-y." They laughed again. Once the laughter ended, reality kicked back in. "So, I hope you two talked it out amongst yourselves….and have come to an answer."

"Actually," Shikamaru immediately said, "I want to speak with you alone."

Temari panicked a bit as Shikamaru led Kakashi into a different room. She grabbed onto his arm, "Shikamaru. Please." Shikamaru let out a sigh and nodded to show that he acknowledged and respected her decision before leaving to have a personal talk with his brother.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the door to the room where Shikamaru and Kakashi were privately talking in opened and Temari immediately rushed over. She saw the solemn look on Kakashi's face and the cast-down expression on Shikamaru's.

_I knew it. Kakashi was persuaded to take Natsu away!_ Angry at the asserted situation, her tears poured down as she was frustrated that she couldn't do anything to persuade them both. She started hitting Shikamaru on the chest, "Why?! Why?! Why?!" Shikamaru signaled for Kakashi to leave because he would took care of her. Temari started shoving Shikamaru away, "No! What kind of friend are you?!" She sniffed and wiped her tears, "Why, Shikamaru?!" 'Why' was the only word she could only managed to say and the only question she wanted him to answer.

Shikamaru grabbed onto her wrists to grab her attention, but she tried to break free. Knowing that she wouldn't listen because she was so upset, he roughly gave her a tight hug. He paused when she stopping crying and just whimpered onto his chest.

"…I…I…I hate you." Temari said as she hugged him back. She also understood why he made this decision, and she couldn't blame him. "But…why…"

"…Because he's Natsu." Shikamaru finally said. He smiled while hugging her to not let her see it.

Temari sniffed. _Natsu?_ She pulled away from the hug and glared at him. "So you told your brother to take him away because I was getting attached to him?!" She started aiming for his chest again, but he managed to stop her and persuaded her to listen to him.

"No. I told my brother…" He chuckled as he wiped the tears that were all over Temari's face, "…to let you…keep him."

Temari's heart almost literally stopped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing at the moment. She was damn sure that with just the two brothers alone in the room, Yamada-san would've been easily convinced. Shikamaru panicked again when Temari cried even more. She dropped down due to emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion when she realized she had been tricked.

"What's wrong?" He crouched down to her level, "Aren't you happy?"

Temari looked at him and gave him an ugly crying expression. In between hiccups, she managed to say, "You stupid jerk! These are tears of…joy!" She tripped him to get back, "How dare you do that to me!"

Afraid of being abused even more, Shikamaru got up on his feet and ran over to the kitchen table, "Oi, that's what you get for deciding Natsu's name without discussing it with me!" Shikamaru continued to tease her, "It's not like you're going to have three more kids to name them after the seasons- Haru, Natsu, Aki and Fuyu."

Now that she was provoked, she stood up on her feet and walked over to the kitchen, "Why? Why can't I have three more children?"

Shikamaru laughed, "Because you need to be married before you can have kids…and we all know no one would want to marry you!"

Temari had had it. She was anxious, emotionally tricked, and now she was being teased and mocked by her own friend. Fuming with anger, she started chasing him around and trying to hit him whenever she got the chance. When they finally became tired, they dropped down to the ground and rested. They looked at one another and laughed. They've had three straight wild days and it ended happily for them.

Temari turned over to smile at Shikamaru. "Ne…arigatou."

Shikamaru smiled back. He reached over and pinched her cheek, "You're welcome."

* * *

Shikamaru woke up to the sound of crickets chirping. He realized that he had fallen asleep outside in the living room with the backyard outdoor screen not being locked and the lamp in the room was still turned on. _Ah, we both fell asleep out here after opening the backyard door._ He turned around to wake up Temari only to find her missing. Nervous at her disappearance, he looked outside the screen door and then locked it and then slide the slide door closed. _Well, no one barged in here…good thing since the backyard door wasn't locked._ He looked around in the room. _Where could she be?_ When he stopped in the middle of the room and was standing about a meter away from the bedroom, he laughed to himself. _Of course, she's in here with him._ He quietly opened the door and entered in and saw her under the blankets with a soft pillow. As for Natsu, she had made a small bed for him for he had a small mattress made out of a thin blanket and another thin blanket was used as a pillow.

He walked over to crouch down to look at the sleeping people at the bedside. He laughed again when he saw Natsu holding onto the pinky of Temari. "Sweet dreams, Natsu." Shikamaru caressed him, "You have a new mommy to watch over you now." He smiled, "The best mommy there is."


	5. Chapter 5

Temari and Shikamaru turned around to look at who was running with loud footsteps behind them. As expected, it turned out to be their friends Naruto, Matsuri, and Gaara. They stopped to let their friends catch up to them at the block.

Naruto, arriving first, grabbed Temari's water bottle from her hands and capped it open. Gaara then took it, downed the water, and gave it to his girlfriend. Naruto panted, "Oi, we all saw the text…"

Gaara nodded, "Yeah, what's up with…"

"…going back to school today?" Matsuri finished the sentence. She capped the empty water bottle and gave it back to Temari. "I thought…we won't be returning until everything's solved."

"Speaking of the problem," Naruto looked around desperately, "where's the baby?!"

Shikamaru calmed them down, "He's with Kakashi."

Matsuri glanced at Temari for a response, "So, you guys decided to give the baby away?"

Temari smiled happily as she one-handedly hugged Shikamaru, "Nope. We're keeping it."

* * *

It was lunch time and the gang was at their usual spot- on the school roof top to eat their lunch. There, they finished the conversation from the morning.

"Shikamaru somehow persuaded Yamada-san to allow us to raise Natsu." Temari gulped down her jelly-bean bread.

"What do you mean persuaded?" Gaara asked, "I thought Yamada-san was fine either way. To be honest, it seemed that he was more for you guys raising it."

Temari hit Gaara gently on his leg, "His name is Natsu, not 'it'."

"H~ai, Mommy," Gaara joked back.

Temari slightly winced when she heard that word. 'Mommy'.

"Natsu?" Matsuri asked as she grabbed her water bottle, "Is that what you two decided to call him?"

Shikamaru snarled, "No. She didn't even discuss it with me." He air-poked Temari's head to show his disappointment, "She is senseless with names, isn't she?"

Temari glared back, "I didn't discuss it with you because at the time, you were being mean. You were planning to give him away." The two started having a childish chopstick fight.

"So…what's next then?" Naruto asked with his mouth full. "I mean, Shikamaru can go back home, but Mi-chan, you don't want to return?"

Temari and Shikamaru stopped fighting and became tensed. Shikamaru looked at her as she spoke. "I know…it doesn't make sense that I would want to keep a baby when I'm emotionally tired of babysitting…but, this baby has no one right now. And…for me to just give it away, I can't do that…especially…now that I know we've got lead on the whereabouts of his mother." She poked into her bento as she placed her bread down, "That's why I named him Natsu after the summer season to mark the beginnings of a new life, both his and mine." She looked at Shikamaru, "Today, I'll be going home with you to clear things up with your father. Yamada-san said your father hasn't left-"

"-There is no need to." Shikamaru said as he looked away. Everyone was taken aback as they sensed another problem. They noticed that Temari had no clue, too.

Temari moved to face him, "What do you mean? I told you that I'm going to go all the way with this!"

"I know." Shikamaru said. He turned back to look at her. With a smile, he added, "We're going to do it together."

* * *

"See you tomorrow!" Temari and Shikamaru bid their friends goodbye before leaving with Kakashi afterschool.

Kakashi glanced at the rearview mirror to look behind, "So, I bought a house already and did all the billing and house paperwork so that it'll be sent to me instead." He stepped onto the gas pedal as he finished making a turn, "But, there's just one more paperwork that I need to discuss with you two."

"What is it?" They asked simultaneously.

"This one needs us to talk face to face." Kakashi said to imply its importance.

* * *

"I can't believe they're going to do it for real." Naruto said as he kicked a pebble away from the side walk. "What has gotten into them all of the sudden?"

"Don't you mean Shikamaru?" Matsuri asked. Her boyfriend and Naruto looked at her for an explanation. "We know why Temari's doing this, but…Ryo-chan hasn't said anything. He kept dodging the questions when we asked him."

"It's probably a sensitive subject for him to talk about. Just like Temari's." Gaara said.

Matsuri angrily stopped, "What kind of problem would Shikamaru have that is as sensitive as hers?"

Gaara stopped walking. He looked at the ground, "…Like maybe… having a family."

* * *

Temari rolled down the window of the car, "WAH! It's so big!"

Kakashi laughed as he parked in the driveway, "Of course. I did my best to find you guys a pleasing house for you to live freely." The trio got out of the car and headed inside with Kakashi putting down the pin password. "You two can change the pass code once everything's more official and put into place." He stepped in, "I'll give you guys a tour around first before we settle down." He turned around, "Ah, everything has been set- new kitchenware, tableware, etc."

Temari smiled happily. She thought she'd had to buy those things out of pocket. "Thanks, Yamada-san!"

"You're welcome."

Shikamaru looked surprised as he looked at the color of the walls. Everything was white and clean. "You did a good job picking the house." He raised two of his thumbs up.

"Anyway, the total number of rooms in this house is five. You can designate which ever room as your bedroom to your liking." He pointed up to the ceiling, "There are three rooms upstairs, one of them is a master bedroom, and two of them are downstairs, with one of them being directly on our left from where we've entered." Facing forward, he pointed to in front of them, "The kitchen's over there with a sliding door allowing you to go outside, which connects to the backyard. On the right of the room here," Temari and Shikamaru followed Kakashi as he walked over to show them, "is the restroom."

He then led them upstairs, "The bathroom here is placed right on top of the bathroom downstairs so that the pipes could be constructed for easier water flow." Up on the last step of the stair case, he pointed to the two rooms in front of them, "Here are the two bedrooms. Like the bathrooms, they're built to be on top of the two bedrooms downstairs, too." He walked them over to the master bedroom. "The only difference with this one is that the master bedroom had a shed built under it for any of your outdoor equipment." He turned over to face Temari and happily said, "I'm thinking this one should go to Temari-chan." Temari and Kakashi high-fived one another as they both agreed.

Apparently, Shikamaru didn't think so. He pulled their hands apart, "Oi, why must she get the master bedroom?"

Kakashi sighed, "Are you forgetting that she'll be sleeping with the baby? She's going to need more space to put hers _and_ Natsu's things in the room." He raised his brows, "It's only natural that she should get the master bedroom since it's so big." He looked back at Temari, "Oh, I'm going to have a refrigerator added into this room by the end of this week so that you won't have to go up and down the stairs at night when he starts to eat dairy milk." He dragged Temari into the room when he remembered something, "It also has a bathroom attached!"

Shikamaru blew air out of his mouth in defeat and envy, "Fine. Take it." Temari and Kakashi laughed to one another at their victory. Temari hugged Shikamaru to comfort him for his loss.

* * *

The tour was finished and everyone was sitting at the newly bought porcelain dining table that was set in the middle of the kitchen. Kakashi took out a paper from his work bag. As he was going to zip his bag closed, he looked at a thick burgundy book as the size of a thesaurus. He sighed and zipped it fully all the way. He placed the flipped paper on the table and slid it to their direction. "You can flip it."

When they took it cautiously and flipped it to read its content, their eyes widen when they saw what the form was. "A family register?!" Temari and Shikamaru shouted.

Kakashi stayed calm. He looked away, "This is the paperwork that I need you two to fill."

Temari stuttered as she looked at it as if it wasn't real in her hands. "Um- why? A fa-family r-r-register…?!"

"Why would we need this?" Shikamaru tossed it down. "Marriage wasn't part of the conditions you said."

"That's because I didn't had time to fully explain myself." Kakashi defended himself.

Shikamaru nodded in frustration and irritation, "Okay, then, here. Have the entire time to explain."

Kakashi leaned up straight as if he was having a causal business meeting. Looking at his younger brother, he explained, "Look, I didn't think that you'd be agreeing to this, so I didn't mention it. But, when you decided to stay with Temari to help her because-" He stopped himself from telling something that he knew he wasn't something supposed to say. He continued after clearing his throat, "-but now that it's come to this, you two _have _to have a family register…_together_, especially since there's a kid involved."

Temari gasped when she realized this, "…Wait." She pointed to the paper, "Even if Shikamaru _wasn't_ here, I'd still have to fill out a family register form because… regardless of anything, my relationship with Natsu needs to be established."

"Exactly." Kakashi said. "But, the problem isn't the paper itself." The two teens looked at him confusingly as they did think that the family register itself was the problem. "The real problem is…whether or not you two will put yourselves down as husband and wife." Temari and Shikamaru froze in shock. Kakashi laughed to lighten the atmosphere, "Again, this is the best relationship for your future with the baby."

Temari got up from her chair, "Wait, so we _do_ have to get married?!" As if his soul had left him, Shikamaru exhaustingly looked at his paper and then at Temari when she had said the 'm' word they both knew would never happen between them for they were such great friends who had no other feelings beside friendship towards one another.

Kakashi tried to laugh. He waved his hand, "No, no, no. It's just a role you two are going to play."

"Role?" They asked.

Kakashi nodded. "Think of it as a type of position for the 'job' I'm hiring you two for. Hey, actually, think of it this way: this form isn't a family register, it's a job application!" He pointed to Temari, "Your position is Mommy, and the job only requires you to act your role as a mother to the child- Natsu." He pointed to Shikamaru, "Yours is the same, except, your part is the father…and your responsibilities are to do what a father does in the family."

Shikamaru stood up, "Wait a minute, why does she get to take care of only Natsu and I get to take care of the family?"

Kakashi looked at him, "Because you can take care of yourself, I'm giving what you wanted a chance at." Shikamaru back off for he knew what his brother was referring to- their personal talk on the night of deciding Natsu's future.

Temari sat back down and put a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. Looking back and forth between the brothers, she quietly asked, "What- what do- what chance?"

Shikamaru smiled to her, "Ah- just boy talk- er, man to man…talk." Temari decided to leave it at that.

Kakashi coughed to bring the teens back to the problem. He put a hand on the form. "What is your answer?" He slid it over to him, "Are you backing out…" He slid the form back to the teens, "...Or, will you become the virtual Yamada family?"

* * *

"I'll have him dropped off by the end of this week when preparations are done." Kakashi said as he put on his shoes at the entrance. It was almost eight and he was getting ready to leave the teens alone to their new house. "So, until then, Natsu will be staying with me at an apartment."

Temari handed him a wrapped meal she had made, "So, you're going to leave for Hokkaido after dropping Natsu off over here?"

Kakashi moved his right foot around to get it placed correctly in his shoes, "That's the plan." He touched his jacket pocket, "Oh, that reminds me," he took out something, "Here is your new cell phone."

Shikamaru took it before Temari can grab it, "Why do you need another cell?"

Temari became gloomy, "I threw my old one away. I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore." The brothers knew who she was referring to- her family. "Besides, that phone was only bought so they could call me to 'work' and to keep tabs on me." Kakashi then handed her a familiar envelop that only she recognized, "Why are you returning my money?

Kakashi smiled, "It's because I bought it for you." He placed it onto Temari's hand, "Think of it as a 'thank you' from me."

Temari bashfully smiled, "No, _I_ should be the one who's thankful, not you."

Shikamaru nodded, "Ne, _why_ are _you_ helping us so much?"

Kakashi became flustered. He seemed nervous to answer the question. Managing to calm himself down, he looked at the teens, "Let's just say…I'm being a responsible adult."

Shikamaru playfully scoffed, "Oi, are you saying that I'm not responsible? I told you that kid isn't mine."

"You _are_ responsible." Kakashi said. He sadly muttered, "More than me."

Temari popped her head to the side, "Hm? What was that?"

Kakashi shook his head with a smile. He opened the door and headed out to his car, "So, I hope everything goes well from now on." After wearing his seat belt, he drove off onto the streets. Stopped at a red light, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

"This is Tokyo Center's Forensics Department. How may I help you?" A lady on the line greeted him.

"Uh, yes. This is Kakashi. May I speak with Yamato-san? Tell him it's regarding Natsu."

"Yes, please wait." The line was put on hold.

As he waited, he glanced over at his thesaurus-sized burgundy book in his bag. Just then, the phone line connected again and the green light lit on, "Hai, Yamato speaking."

"Oi, it's Kakashi, Yamato."

Yamato laughed, "I know."

Kakashi tightened his jaw, "What have you got so far?"

"I did what you asked me to do- I went through the files of recently born infants, which was very hard to do since I don't work in that area _or_ department…and yes, he is in the record." Yamato explained, "His birthday is June 25st, and he has no birth name. And, as requested, I input the information you wanted me to fill." Kakashi heard a shuffling noise, "Ah, let me confirm what you wanted me to input into the directory. It was: name: Natsu; birthdate: keep as is. As for family, you'll be giving me that information when?"

Kakashi stopped at a nearby curb to listen to the details, "Wait, go back to before. What do you mean he had no birth name?"

There was a long silence before Yamato answered, "Kakashi…the baby was taken out of the hospital a few hours after birth."

Kakashi jerked up in surprise, "So, this baby-!"

"-She died after giving birth." Kakashi heard Yamato sighed, "I'm sorry…for your loss."

Taking deep breaths and his eyes becoming wet, Kakashi looked back at the book.

"…But, Kakashi…it wasn't _any_ kind of death." Kakashi revert his attention back to listening to Yamato, "…she died because…"

* * *

Coming downstairs from his room, Shikamaru saw the kitchen lights still turned on. As he came closer, he saw Temari sitting down at the table looking at something. "What are you doing?" He poured himself a cup of water and went over to sit next to her.

Temari looked up at him, "The paper." Shikamaru looked and saw the family register form that was still blank. Kakashi gave them until the end of the week to put down a family role they were going to be since they would be working for Kakashi as what Kakashi called it, 'The Virtual Yamada Family.'

"He said we don't have to put ourselves down as 'husband' and 'wife', but…" she looked away, "no matter how much I think about it…it _is_ the best and safest for Natsu."

Shikamaru slid the paper closer to them and then clasped his hand in hers. They looked at one another. With a comforting and assuring voice, he said, "Then…what more do we need to think about?" Temari leaned up straight when she heard this, "I'm going to be here for you. You're going to be here for me." He raised the paper to look at it, "…and, we're going to be there…for our little one."

* * *

Natsu is an OC.

Sorry, I just felt like posting a few chapters, so here is me going on chapters-spree!


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, so how's the house?" Naruto asked as he came over to sit in the seat in front of Shikamaru's desk. Shikamaru perked up to his question, "We were wondering if we could come over and throw a house-warming party."

Shikamaru looked around, "I gotta ask Temari first though. It's not just my house."

Naruto smirked, "Oi, for some reason, it feels as if you're married."

Shikamaru lightly shoved Naruto, "Oi, don't kid me. Temari and I would never be that way."

"Fine, I'll ask Temari when she comes back with Matsuri."

"Where'd they go?" Gaara came over and gave them their worksheets. "You two aren't going to study for the upcoming test for the end of second term?"

"It's okay. We still have two more months before the term ends." Naruto skimmed through the page, "As for the girls, they went to use the restroom since the teacher said we can have this period as free time." He put the paper down and grinned, "I heard that his wife just went into labor, so they couldn't find a teacher in time to fill in." He nudged Gaara, "Oi, Ryo-chan said we can have a house-warming party this week!"

Shikamaru snarled back, "I told you I have to ask Temari."

Naruto sighed, "It's Temari. She's going to agree." He grabbed Shikamaru's pencil and started drawing on his worksheet, "Speaking of Temari," the boys listened carefully, "didn't you try to get Temari to go out with you during your bachelor days?"

Shikamaru glared back in annoyance with Naruto teasing him of being married, "I'm still a bachelor! Besides, it wasn't that I liked her, I was just...trying to annoy her."

"Yeah, right." Naruto said. "You were so flirtatious that you even aimed for Matsuri. You didn't stop until Gaara finally confessed he liked her."

Gaara nodded, "Yeah, I remember something like that. Wasn't it that she was the only girl who didn't respond to your cheesy pickup lines?"

Shikamaru scoffed, "Shin, why are you going to go along with Naruto's false story? I can accept flirting with Temari, but I can't accept _liking_ her." He quietly and sarcastically added, "I sin when I see a girl."

"What about Temari?" Matsuri and Temari came over to where the boys were conversing. Temari went over to sit on her desk that was across from Shikamaru while Matsuri stood behind Gaara.

Temari pointed a finger at Shikamaru and glared at him, "If you're talking smack about me, you're cooking tonight!" The friends made some 'oooh' noises in response to Temari's comment.

"The couple fight has begun!" Naruto teased again.

"We're not a couple," Shikamaru and Temari said together.

Shikamaru looked at Temari, "Oi, Naruto was saying that when we first met, I liked you. I didn't, didn't I?" Before Temari could answer because she was thinking back to when they first met, he added, "I mean, seriously, me liking you? You're _so_ not in my league."

Aggravated at how he implied that she wasn't a match for him, she gave him a look, "No, I remember," she pretended to recall the memories. Shikamaru became shocked because he didn't remember anything, "However, I only remember that the only reason why I never responded was because I'm not interested in little boys." She stuck out her tongue, "Even years later, you're still the same little boy that hasn't grown up." The friends laughed as they cheered for Temari's victory.

Matsuri stopped the cheer, "No, Shikamaru did stop his flirtatious ways. This whole entire time, he hasn't been wooing any girl at all. Back then, it was a big fuss within the students." She emphasized the following words in pain, "Especially among the girls." She pointed at Shikamaru, "It was because you stopped taking them out to your 'karaoke' time afterschool, which to this day, I am still confused as to what _do_ you guys do. It was also around the same time when Gaara and I started dating." She hugged her boyfriend.

Naruto clapped, "Ah! I remember! It happened…" he tapped the side of his head as if that'd help him remember, "…it was sometime in the middle of our first year of middle school! I remember a few girls crying and saying that Ryo-kun has found someone special to him."

Temari was taken aback. Admiring Shikamaru for something she didn't know, she said, "Ehh, I didn't know someone could make you have a change of heart."

"Could it be- your first love?" Matsuri asked. "Who was she?"

Shikamaru was surprised because he really didn't remember any of this, "I—it can't be!" He chuckled to himself, "I really don't have any collection of that."

"Then, what is your recollection of how we became friends?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru thought carefully as he spoke, "I do remember meeting you in sixth grade, but we had less interaction then. Also, you didn't like me as much as you do now, too, back then. As for seventh grade, I think it was in the middle of the school year that we met again through Gaara who had a deep crush for Matsuri, who was your friend…" He looked up, "Right?" His friends nodded. He paused. "That's all I can remember."

His friends were disappointed. They thought he had remembered something cool or twisted or whatnot, but it turned out that the story was just a plain ending.

"Oh," Gaara began, "That was also when you started hanging out with us more instead of with the usual flock of girls afterschool."

Naruto smiled, "Problem solved. It must be from then. That was probably how you two got close to one another- hanging out together."

Temari laughed, "Actually, I also don't remember how we became close friends, too." Shikamaru turned to look at her, "But, that doesn't matter, right?" Everyone looked at each other and smiled in agreement.

* * *

"Matsuri," Shikamaru called out to his friend. It was afterschool and the gang was waiting in the library for Temari to finish her afterschool duties. "I was wondering…how much do you know about Temari's family and about the babysitting problem she's been having?" Hearing this question, the boys stopped what they were doing and lend their ears into the conversation.

"Oh, I know them real well, so well that all the exaggerations you guys think I have done won't even measure up to this." Matsuri answered. "You guys wouldn't believe me at all."

Naruto laughed, "Well, duh. You're Queen of rudeness and exaggeration." He pouted when Gaara and Matsuri glared at him for badmouthing her. Of course, they knew he was joking and they joked back.

"Do you want to know why any of you boys weren't allowed to visit her or even be with her afterschool, or that she can't even mention you guys to her family?" Matsuri asked. The boys shook their head. "You see, Temari's never had any problems in making friends. But, one day, from what she told me, she overheard her father and mother argued about enrolling her into an all-girls private academy to be far from the wolves."

"Wolves?" The boys asked in sync.

Matsuri nodded. "By wolves, I mean boys." She sighed, "You guys know that she's the youngest of nine, right? Well, her life took a huge turn when she heard that argument. When she heard that her parents will make the decision about whether or not she'll be enrolled in the second year of middle school, she decided to cut off all ties with all her of guy friends."

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.

"Why?" Naruto added.

"It's because she wanted to prove to her parents that she wouldn't be like her sisters- boy crazy. **The three sisters that are married either eloped with her boyfriend-now-husband, married a man who is ten years older than her when she was only fourteen, and the other sister of hers dropped out of school to choose the marriage life."**

Matsuri continued to explain, "**Devastated about how their daughters' lives turned out to be what they didn't expect, they thought that they needed to keep an eye on Temari. Fortunately for them, when the sisters began to have kids of their own, they started asking Temari to babysit- constantly. Knowing that Temari was always going to be at a family's house instead of some place with friends, they didn't try to stop her from house-hopping**."

Gaara leaned back, "So, that's why she was so distant from us starting in the first year of middle school."

Naruto nodded, "I just thought she didn't like us then because Gaara began going out with you and Shikamaru was sexually harassing her."

"**This was also the reason why all our other girlfriends left Temari. They thought she was just using the excuse of 'babysitting' to not attend any invitation to parties and whatnot**." Matsuri looked away and sadly continued, "I, too, committed the same crime."

"What do you mean?" Gaara asked his girlfriend.

"This isn't an justification for what I had done to her before, but…hearing the same excuse from her over and over again, one day, I ditched her…just like how the other girls did."

Naruto perked up in excitement, "Whoa, when did this happened?!" Gaara and Shikamaru nudged him for being insensitive.

Matsuri laughed, "It was about two months after Gaara and I started going out." She paused, "I thought maybe she was torturing me by not wanting to spend time with me and Gaara because I got a boyfriend before she did…" She managed a smile, "But, one night, running away from home, I saw her at the convenience store…and there she was, just like what she had said from a conversation I heard earlier from that day- she was going to be babysitting." Matsuri wiped the tears as the guilt emotions she had from the past crept up to eat her again, "The diligent thirteen year old Temari was multi-tasking with five kids to watch and a grocery list to complete!" Gaara came over to give her a hug. The boys felt touched at Temari's and Matsuri's beautiful bond for one another.

Matsuri managed to continued, "She was so great at handling the kids who were running around making messes around the store." She laughed, "I still remember one of them trying to get into the grocery cart of another person. She managed to stay her cool the entire time while those little apes just kept running around." She sniffed, "When I thought of that, I realized that she had always been telling us the truth…and that she wasn't hanging out with me because I was going to be with Gaara…and she couldn't be seen with a boy." Matsuri became okay now that it was reaching a happy ending, "So, I apologized the next day, and we've been even better friends ever since then."

"Poor Temari." Naruto frowned. "She had been a Mommy since a long time ago."

Matsuri smirked, "It's all thanks to those fast-reproducing siblings of hers!" She scoffed. Whenever it was about the siblings, anger filled her up. "She grew up not having a youthful teenage life."

Naruto picked up a nearby book and skimmed through it, "Honestly, I don't see how keeping Natsu will help in any way. It's just back to square one, except it doesn't belong to any of her siblings."

Shikamaru angrily took the book, "Oi, his name is Natsu, not 'it'."

Naruto scowled, "I thought Temari would be the only one who'd get worked up over that. Why are you, too?"

"Because he's ours now." Shikamaru said.

"Ours?" The friends repeated.

Shikamaru looked at them, "Not in that sense. In the sense that we're both in this together."

* * *

"You know what the best part of today is?" Matsuri turned around to look at her friends as she walked backwards. She pointed to Temari, "Temari doesn't have to go to babysit anymore!"

Naruto shook his head, "Matsuri, you spoke too soon."

Matsuri stopped walking when her friends did the same, "What do you mean?" Noticing that her friends' eyes weren't on her, she turned around and saw what grabbed her friends' attention. "Oh."

"…Hey…Temari." It was Mariko standing at the school entrance gate.

With tension filling her up, the one who calmed her down was Shikamaru who held her hand from behind. Without looking at her, he whispered, "Don't worry. You have a new home now." He squeezed her hand, "Natsu's waiting for you."

Mariko came forward with a smile, "Temari," she stuttered as the atmosphere was awkward, especially since what had happened a few days ago, "we found out that you were back at school, so I came to get you- um, not to babysit." She laughed nervously, "Just to go home." She sighed, "Everyone wants to talk to you. Please."

Matsuri scoffed, "Why'd you guys had to ask the school for where she is?" She rolled her eyes. Now that Temari was no longer on good terms with her family, Matsuri took this chance to show how she really felt towards them for all those years they've done to Temari, "She'd usually be at two places: school or home." She pretended to think, "Oh wait, not home, _your_ home."

Temari's friends looked at her as they waited for her response. _If I go, I could get closure…or into another argument and make things worse. _She looked at her sister. _If I don't go…closure will just be from our last argument…and things will stay the same._ Temari took a deep breath.

"She'll go…if I can go." Shikamaru inserted. He knew that Temari had become nervous. He wanted to be there for her and with her. He also had some things he wanted to clear up with the Temari's family

* * *

The gang sat in a couch that was exclusively placed just for them. They were at Temari's house, brought home by Mariko.

Temari glanced at Shikamaru and whispered, "Thanks." Shikamaru responded with a smile. A cough from Temari's mother made them look back to the front.

"Your older siblings wanted to speak with you. Not me." Temari's father drew out the line so that Temari wouldn't misunderstand.

Temari smiled, "Yes, I know. But, I didn't come back for them. I came back for Natsu."

"Natsu?" Temari's family asked in sync. "That's what you named it?"

"My baby is a boy, not an 'it'." Temari said. "I've always respected your children by referring them in their respective proper pronouns based on their gender. As adults, I expect you to respect my child, too." Her friends smiled to support her supporting Natsu. Her family looked away in embarrassment.

Mariko became the first one to start, "Temari, we just want you to have an honest discussion with us- about everything...especially about how you've felt."

Temari nodded, "I will…because we all deserve that." Temari took a deep breath, "But, honestly, you guys really should have nothing to say to me. It's me who has a lot to say."

"What do you mean?" Keiko [OC] asked. **She was the sixth child who eloped with her boyfriend-now-husband. She was the mother of three vicious and violent boys**, whom her friends labeled them as bundle number six, nicknamed V- Boys.

"I know I'm the one who caused this. Not any of my friends. Not Natsu." Temari began. "I'm the one who's been bottling up all of my emotions and never speaking up about it." She gave them a firm look, "But, I do not and _will not_ regret this decision. He's my miracle, my blessing."

"Temari, please, give him up for adoption and you can come back-"

"Is that what you all intended for me to come here and listen to?" Temari interrupted her mother. "I said it before on that day when I walked out. I'm not going to return...now…or in the future. Nothing can make me return."

"But, we're your family," Becky [OC] said. Becky was the fifth child, one of the two dropouts who were still single and living with the parents.

Temari mustered her courage and strength to say the next line, "Not anymore." The room was in silence. "**For a few years now, I've been doing some deep personal thinking…and I realized I have more potential than I think I do. I've matured way before I was sixteen.** Do you know why?" She took out her cell phone and opened it to show the picture a sleeping Natsu on her cell phone wall screen, "**It's because I was a mother to all the fourteen kids you all have altogether**." She faced the picture towards her and looked at it as she continued speaking, "**I've never once hated watching your kids; in fact, I watched your kids not due just because of respect, but because I also wanted a relationship with them. But, after realizing that I'm just being walked over, taken advantage of because I'm still single with no strings attached, and especially at the fact that you guys didn't give a care about how I still have a life to live for, I decided that it was time I needed to be away from babysitting**. It was then…that my son came to me."

She stood up and her friends abruptly followed, "You said you raised me…you didn't." She looked at her parents, "I raised myself." She smiled at her friends, "Let's go."

Her mother stopped her, "Where are you going?" She was crying again because Temari was leaving.

Temari turned around happily, "Home. Home where Natsu is waiting for me." She left as Matsuri, Gaara and Naruto followed.

Shikamaru stayed behind. He wanted to say something for Temari, "It sucks that her own parents don't even know how great she is…how good of a mother she is…and how mature she is." He took a step out. When he reached the door, he looked back, "It's about time she's free to spend her youth the way a young single teenage girl should spend it. You guys had pushed her to the limit." He closed the door behind him. As Shikamaru caught up to his friends at the gate of the house, Temari turned around slowly to give one last look at her old house…and the family she thought that would be with her until the end. "Temari?"

"Hm?" She said without looking back.

"You okay?" Matsuri gently asked. The friends began to wonder if Temari was regretting her decision and/or was on the verge of crying. As Matsuri was about to go get Temari,  
everyone flinched when Temari just turned around.

Smiling widely, she jumped up and down, "I'M FREE!" She ran over to hug her precious friends, "I'M FREE!" They walked back to where they were originally planning to go to hang out afterschool together with Temari like for the first time in a long time. As they passed by a small park, Temari suddenly had a quick memory flashback as she stared at the swings. It was a time in middle school when her and Shikamaru were together late at night, on the swings. _It's when...I became friends with Shikamaru._ She looked at Shikamaru, whose back was facing her. _Why were we there that night?_ Out of the blue, she blushed.


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't wait to eat this." Matsuri said as she decorated the cake, the only thing she was allowed to do in the kitchen, and because she kept on begging her friends. The cake was for the house-warming party they were having and for the welcoming of Natsu. It was the weekend already, and everyone was really hyped up for the sleepover. "I'm surprised you managed to remember everything, Temari. This house is big."

Temari laughed, "Not as big as your mansion, though." She came over to check up on the decoration, "It looks good so far."

Feeling satisfied after Temari's praise, she proudly said, "Maybe I should be a chef!"

"Don't you mean baker?" Naruto interrupted Matsuri as he came inside the room from outside. "A baker bakes, a chef cooks. There's a difference."

Having been made a fool of, Matsuri shouted, "Shin-chan! Naruto's being mean to me!" Naruto immediately ran away and Gaara came inside the house to start the chase.

When Naruto came over to Temari, Gaara stopped the chase for Temari was holding onto a knife and he didn't want any accidental deaths to happen. He decided to sit on the chair to wait for Naruto to move. "Ne, what time are they going to get here?"

Temari pouted, "Around two."

Shikamaru poked his head into the kitchen, "Oi, Temari! Water!"

"To drink or to use?!" She shouted back.

"Drink!"

Temari put her utensils down and head towards the fridge to get a bottle of water, "Hai!" She walked back to Naruto, "Can you give this to Shikamaru?" She didn't want to walk all the way out to the backyard where Shikamaru was grilling the steaks.

Naruto accepted it, "Sure." The moment he was a bit far from Temari, Gaara leaped at him and they jokingly fought as they headed outside.

Again, it was just the two girls alone in the kitchen. "Temari, how are you feeling?"

Temari smiled, "About what?"

"Natsu and the new life style change."

"I love it!" She stopped smiling, "I just find it disappointing that I prefer this life style than to what I had before."

Matsuri laughed, "Gosh, you are starting to sound as if you really did gave birth to Natsu." She rushed over to Temari and jokingly whispered, "Don't tell me- he really is your child and you were the one who did the ring-and-run prank that it turned out like this?!"

Temari laughed so hard at Matsuri's weird joke, "Baka, as if!" Suddenly, the boys rushed inside the house. "Oi, what happened?"

"They're here!" Naruto shouted. He seemed to be the most excited of them all. He even was the first one to reach the door.

Temari and Shikamaru looked at one another. "I thought he said they wouldn't be here until around two."

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, but that's my nii-san's car parked out on the driveway.."

"O-hayou!" Kakashi said as he carried the baby in a car seat instead of the basket that Natsu was in for days. "Gomen, I have a few errands to run, so I'm just going to drop him off and then go in a while." Temari kindly took the car seat from Kakashi and put it on top of the couch to take him out. Everyone stared in awe at how swift she was in handling Natsu's wobbly neck _and_ making sure the car seat wouldn't tip over. "Wow, you're really good at taking him out." He became embarrassed, "Honestly, I tried doing that at home so I would know."

Matsuri proudly complimented her friend, "Of course she'd know. She's a veteran mama." Everyone laughed.

Kakashi sniffed around the room and saw that food was still being prepared, "Oh, so I guess the food won't be on time for me."

"Actually, the food wasn't meant for you at all." Shikamaru joked.

Temari came over and while holding onto Natsu, she gently held his hand and brought it up to point at Kakashi. With a baby voice, she joined Shikamaru on the tease, "Yeah, Uncle Kakashi. The party's for me, not you!"

"Oh, so guys are going to have him call me that?" Kakashi asked. He walked over to sit down.

Shikamaru came over to Temari and they both put on a straight face, "That's because…that's how you're related to him."

The friends blinked. "Eh?"

As for Kakashi, he realized this was a reference to the family register form. "Are…are you saying…?"

In sync, Temari and Shikamaru said, "We are the Nara family."

* * *

The cuisines that were made inside the house were finished and were on standby for the barbeque foods to be ready in order for everyone to have dinner and for the party to officially start. Everyone was outside and Natsu was asleep in a nursery center placed in the living room that Kakashi had bought as a goodbye present. He bought over so many useful items: two cribs, one placed downstairs and one placed in the room with Temari; a baby bathtub, a bouncer, two different strollers, a car seat, and three different nursery centers with one placed in the living room where Natsu was currently sleeping in, one in a guest room downstairs and one in the room with Temari. He even bought diapers, wipes, and a few sets of clothes. All of this, he searched online.

"I can't believe…" Naruto began.

"…you two…" Gaara added.

"…have become…" Matsuri said.

"…husband and wife." The friends said altogether. Gaara was in charge of the grill for now and Matsuri's and Naruto's eyes were glued to the copy of the family register paper in their hands.

Matsuri backed away, "How come none of this wasn't mentioned to any of us?"

"Well, we didn't think it'd be a huge deal." Shikamaru answered. Temari nodded.

"But, you two are married!" Naruto exclaimed.

Temari came over and corrected them, "No, we're not. We're _working_."

"What do you mean?" Gaara closed the grill to let it cook itself for a while.

Shikamaru sighed, "Even if it was just Temari handling the baby alone, she'd still have to fill out a family registration form to explain their relationship. But, because I am with them, Kakashi said that the best way is to put it down as husband and wife. We were hesitant at first, but he said that we just had to think of it as a position in the job he's hired us to do."

"And that is?" Matsuri asked impatiently.

"Him, Daddy." Temari began pointing, "Me, Mommy." She smiled as if it was nothing wrong, "Those are the positions."

Shikamaru added, "And, our responsibilities are to just act accordingly to what those positions are in the real marriage life."

Naruto gasped, "So-so!" He rushed over, "You two have to sleep together and whatnot as a married couple?!"

Shikamaru and Temari jumped, "Ew, no!"

Temari laughed, "Just the responsibilities to the family in general, not to one another as a real husband and wife."

Matsuri became flustered, "I don't get why you need to fill out a FR form."

"Because we don't know how soon Kakashi-san could find Natsu's parents," Temari answered. "to be on the safe side, we decided to just fill it out…and if by the time he turns five and his parents aren't found or if something tragic had happened, Shikamaru and I agreed to get a mutual divorce."

"Who'd get to keep the baby?" Gaara asked. He opened the grill again and smoke filled the air.

Shikamaru pointed to Temari, "She will, with Natsu and everything. Knowing me, I probably won't be as attached to Natsu as much as her." Temari smiled in delight and the friends agreed.

"Okay, everything's cooked," Gaara said as he placed the last set of meat into a plate. "Let's go inside." Everyone started helping out bring the things inside the house. The girls rushed inside to set the tableware.

"Then, what about the bills and how are you two going to balance school with Natsu?" Matsuri asked as she sat down next to her boyfriend. Her boyfriend passed her the rice bowl, "Arigatou." She picked up her spoon, "We're going to be third-year high school students once the new semester ends."

Shikamaru glanced over at Natsu to check up on him, "Well, as for the house, every billing paperwork goes straight to wherever Kakashi is. He's going to be paying for us. As for school, we'll do just fine."

"Kakashi-san has connection with this nearby day care center and Natsu will be over there whenever we're at school or other places." Temari added.

Naruto was astounded, "Wah, you guys got everything planned." He drank his orange juice, "Ne, I'm still curious though," He smirked, "How is the bedding assigned?"

Shikamaru and Temari became disgusted at how Naruto worded his question. Temari scowled at him, "Is that all you've been thinking the entire time?" Naruto honestly nodded. "Well, too bad, too sad. We sleep in separate bedrooms. Natsu and I sleep in the master bedroom and he sleeps in the room diagonally across from ours."

Gaara commented, "Oi, you two still better be careful." Shikamaru and Temari looked at him. "Even if this neighborhood was the best, it could still be a target of burglars. If it gets out that two underage teens are living without any adult supervision _and_ with an infant, who knows what could happen." He grabbed his drink, "It's worse than having the principal finding out about your situation."

"Ah, the school principal!" Naruto and Matsuri exclaimed at the same time.

"Don't worry. Kakashi got us someone to pretend to be an adult around our house whenever if there are any trouble." Shikamaru answered.

Naruto raised a brow, "Who?"

"A person named Yamato." Temari answered. "He's a colleague of Kakashi-san."

* * *

It was four o'clock in the morning and hearing the scuffling noises of Natsu who was sleeping right beside her, Temari immediately woke up to check what was wrong. It was just a wet diaper that needed to be changed. Temari was a light sleeper, so any sound that was at least as loud a buzzing fly could wake her up. Everyone was asleep downstairs for it was a sleepover party mixed with the housewarming party mixed with the welcoming party. Wow, three in one. It was good though, for it was only the weekends, not on a school night, especially since they didn't go to sleep until who knows what.

Because Natsu was fully awake, he didn't want to go back to sleep. A bit grouchy, Temari had to stay awake, so she decided to get up and carry him. Now that she was awake, too, she played and talked to him in her baby voice.

Shikamaru happened to opened his eyes and saw them together. He smiled to himself when he saw a happy Temari playing with Natsu. Seeing her making funny faces with her mouth, he recalled a memory from the past. The memory wasn't that clear, but it was a girl he felt that he knew real well was talking to him in a school class room where it was just them. _What was she saying?!_

* * *

Temari woke up to the sound of the television. She rubbed her eyes. She realized that it was too bright to be morning. She immediately stood up and saw Shikamaru sitting on the couch with a water bottle in his hand and a remote in the other. She looked around, "Where's Natsu?" She looked around again, "Where's everybody?"

"They left. Matsuri got a text from her spy about her father doing something and Gaara's trying to stop her. Naruto went with them to see what's going to happen." Gaara smiled when he got to the sports channel, "Natsu's sleeping in his nursery center."

Temari looked at it clearly and saw that he was. She got up, "Why didn't you wake me up to say goodbye?"

"I wanted to, but I figured you wanted to sleep." She started to pick up the blankets and pillows. "You stayed up with Natsu when he woke up in the middle of the night." He looked at her, "It's my job to let you sleep extra hours to make up for it."

Happy, she bounced over to him. With puppy eyes, she asked, "Did you make breakfast for me, too?"

Shikamaru scoffed. He pinched her cheeks and then pushed her away, "As if."

Temari stood up and dragged herself to the kitchen, "Fine, I'll cook food for myself then."

"Baka, go get washed up." He placed the remote down, "I'll heat it up for you."

Temari immediately swirled around and rushed back to give him a hug. "Yay! You cooked breakfast!" They pulled away from the hug, but Shikamaru began staring at her, still lost at the memory pinned to his thoughts. "Ne, what's wrong?"

Shikamaru shook his head and joked, "You've got drool on your face." He pinched her cheeks again.

Temari shoved his hands away and shyly touched her cheeks, "I don't drool." She left the living room and headed upstairs to her room and into her bathroom. She turned on the water and washed her face. She then brushed her teeth. Looking into the mirror, she saw her new surroundings that showed her that now…it was just them.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Shikamaru was feeding Natsu his bottle, and Temari was washing the dishes after finishing her afternoon breakfast.

"You have to burp him after he eats." Temari said as she came over to them and gently took Natsu from Shikamaru. "Oh, you're comfortable with holding him now?" She sat down and held the baby upwards on her chest and patted him.

Shikamaru exhaustingly sat down beside her and looked at her, "Why do you need to burp a baby? Can't they do it themselves?" He came closer, "How do you burp them?"

Temari smiled, "You burp them by holding them like this and patting their back. When they burp, it's a sign that their eating went down with no problems." She gave him a good look as if to imply that he needed to remember this at all times, "We burp them because when they suck on the bottle, not only do they suck their milk, but they also suck the excess air trapped in the bottle." Natsu burped just after she finished the explanation. Temari smiled, "See, like that." She started to hold the baby horizontally, "Remember, always burp him after eating while holding him up."

Shikamaru opened his mouth, "Wah, that's…that's so cool!"

Temari rolled her eyes because she thought Shikamaru wasn't listening, "Oi, it's not cool. Not burping them makes them uncomfortable."

Shikamaru looked away and nodded sadly, "Yeah, I know. Been there, through that." He smiled at Temari as she scowled in disgust. "Oh, while you were asleep, I received an email from my brother. It's for the both of us." He stood up to search for something in his back pockets that was a folded paper. "I've printed it out."

"Email?" Temari's eyes widened, "He's gotten a hold of Natsu's mother already?!"

Shikamaru came back and frowned, "No. It's about our current situation." He unfolded and held it in the middle for them to read. "During his plane ride, he wrote us an email to update us on Natsu. Natsu's real birthday is June 25th and that the family register form had been sent and approved by the bureau."

"Eh, so, he _is_ a summer baby!" Temari was about to raise Natsu to give him a kiss when she and Shikamaru bumped cheeks because he was also planning to place a kiss on Natsu, too. As they quickly tried to pull away from one another while looking at each other, their lips gently brushed against one another. They jumped and scoot back in shock.

Shikamaru defended himself, "Oi! Nothing big happened!"

_Well, that's true. It can't be counted as a kiss since our lips didn't touch completely._ Temari awkwardly calmed herself, "Fine." She looked at the paper, "Did you reply back?"

Shikamaru sat up straighter and still stayed at his spot far from Temari, "Yeah, I told him to contact us when he's reached Hokkaido. I also added his number into one of your contacts in case you ever need to talk to him."

"Thanks." Temari looked away, "Ne, why do you think someone would travel all the way from Hokkaido to Tokyo just to give a baby away?" Temari asked. "It makes more sense if the baby was just given to a neighbor or someone who lives close."

Shikamaru folded the paper again and tossed it onto the mini coffee table in front of them, "I think distance isn't the problem. Distance is the solution." Temari wanted to laugh at Shikamaru's answer. "Think about it. If you were planning to give your baby away, you wouldn't want the person who finds your kid to be able to track you down, right? To make it harder, the farther the place the baby is, the slower the real parents could be caught." He switched the channel again when it showed the commercials, "Well, that's what I'd do."

Temari nodded, accepting his theory, "Yeah. True." She looked down at Natsu, "I think it's time Temari gives you a bath."

Shikamaru jumped up, "A bath? Do you even know how?"

Temari scoffed, "Oi, I raised four kids before having this one, two which were from the moment they were born. Of course I'd know." She stopped talking when she realized she was speaking about her nieces and nephews who were now people that she didn't want to be involved with anymore.

Shikamaru noticed this and decided to revert the subject back. "Can I help?"

Temari stood up, "No. But, you can watch."

"Why can't I help?" The two friends walked together side by side upstairs to Temari's room.

"You need to watch so you can learn." Temari stood in front of her enormous closet and picked up two thin baby towels, "That way, whenever I'm not home for whatever reasons and he needs a bath, you can do it yourself."

Hearing this, Shikamaru became scared. "Oi, where are you planning to leave me alone with the child?" He sat on the bed, "You trust me that much?"

Temari entered her bathroom and Shikamaru followed behind. "I'm just saying 'if'." She pointed, "Ne, give me his little tub." Shikamaru looked around and gave it to her when he found it. She one handedly accepted it and placed it in the bathtub. She moved away, "Turn on the water and make sure it's warm." She headed out to the room again, "Fill it up until it's halfway."

Shikamaru shouted, "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking off his clothes." Temari said. She came back when the water was turned off. Shikamaru stopped talking and was intrigued at what he was going to see next. "Okay, Natsu," She said childishly, "We're going to play with water." Shikamaru smiled to himself. He helped aid her into entering the bathtub and sitting down beside the baby bath tub. After confirming the water's temperature, she rested the baby's body entirely on her lap and used one arm to balance Natsu's head.

Seeing this sight that seemed scary to Shikamaru, he said, "Oi! He might just turn over and…and…!"

Without looking back and using a hand to wet Natsu's head, Temari answered, "He can't turn his body yet. He doesn't know how to." Shikamaru sighed. "But, by the time he knows how," Temari looked at him to ease his worries, "he won't be on my lap anymore. I'll just place him on the bathtub at the start."

"At the start? What do you mean?"

Temari sat straight, "Well, after I wash his hair, I'm going to place him in the bathtub so I can wash his body." She looked around, "Ah, we don't have baby shampoo."

Shikamaru's eyes widened, "There's a thing like that?"

Temari laughed, "Of course. They can't use adult shampoos…well, at least, not that I know of." She sighed, "Well, Shikamaru, here's your chance to see what I mean." Shikamaru immediately came closer and looked. Temari gently and comfortably placed a shivering Natsu inside the baby bathtub. While a hand was keeping him secured, Temari gently splashed the water around his body and washed him simultaneously. Natsu started to whimper.

Shikamaru began to panic. "He-he's going to cry. What are you doing?"

Temari laughed to herself, "I'm just giving him a bath, that's what." She continued to do what she was doing, "It's natural for him to cry. He's not used to it yet."

Shikamaru started backing away when Natsu cried loudly, "When will he then?!"

"Whenever." Temari blankly answered. She stood calm among the panicking Shikamaru and the wailing Natsu. Moments later, she raised a hand to Shikamaru, "Towel."

As if Temari and Natsu were contagious, he cautiously handed her a towel. "H-here."

"Thanks." Temari wrapped him with the towel and stepped out. She heard Shikamaru sighed in relief and looked at him. "He's not hurt." She exited and headed back into her room. Like the skilled mother she is, she one-handedly opened a drawer and took out a white baby bodysuit, a white bid, and a white baby hat. "Let's wear what I bought you."

Shikamaru came over and rested his body on the bed with his stomach lying flat. He used his palms to rest is chin, "You bought him something? When?" He frowned, "Why didn't you tell me to buy him something."

Temari busily put the clothes on a shivering Natsu from his bath, "I bought it yesterday when Matsuri and I passed by a baby's store while buying groceries for yesterday's party." She raised the bid and smiled bashfully, "Isn't it cute?" On the bid, there were the words, 'I love Mommy!'

Natsu scoffed. Angry at what the words said, he sat up and pointed at it, "You think Natsu loves you only?" Temari was taken aback, "Watch. When he grows up, he's going to like me more than you."

Temari let out a laugh in disbelief, "Oh, really? Let's see how that'll happen." She put the bid around Natsu's neck and carried him again. "I'll always be your favorite, huh, Natsu." Natsu sucked his hand and Temari glanced back, "See, that's his answer." She walked out that door to avoid Shikamaru from saying anything else.

Shikamaru followed them downstairs, "Oi, that wasn't his reply. He was just being quiet because he didn't want to say my name." He smirked as he sat down on his original spot on the couch.

"He can't even speak yet." Temari said. "He could only sign to us."

"So, sucking his hand was your name in sign language?" Shikamaru asked sarcastically. Temari seriously nodded. "Baka, as if." He stopped, "Then, what's mine?"

Temari smiled, "Whenever he poops." She swiftly ran to the other side to avoid getting back by Shikamaru.

Shikamaru immediately stood up and looked back with a straight face. "Actually, that is a good one." Temari opened her mouth. "Well, I'm pretty sure he'll be pooping more than sucking his hand." He smiled as he crossed his arms across his chest, "I win."

Temari breathed out. _How can he think so positively?_ She came back over and sat down. "Ne, put on the previous channel. I want to watch it." Shikamaru pretentiously glared back and seconds later, he obeyed. The virtual trio family spent their Sunday being couch potatoes.

* * *

**To: ShikamaruNara**

**Subject: In Hokkaido**

**Hey, it's Kakashi-san! I just landed here in Hokkaido about four hours ago. The weather over here's pretty nice despite it being fall already. The apartment I rented is only available for three months, so, I might come back by then just to see how things are going. If I find other clues that need my urgency to uncover it, I won't be able to visit during Christmas. How's Natsu doing? Well, I hope you three are doing fine and are happily living together, and of course, getting used to living together. Anyway, this email is just to update that I'm doing fine.**

**Regarding Natsu's mother…there isn't any trace yet. I'm still trying to find out who her possible relatives are and…hopefully, they could direct me to her.**

**Well, that's that. Have a nice life!**

**Big Brother, Kakashi-san.**

* * *

**To: Yamato**

**Subject: In Hokkaido**

**Hey, I have finally arrived in Hokkaido about four hours ago. I'm going to be staying for here three months and then visit Tokyo around December, unless we have an important info about her father. I don't want to keep showing the picture around, so please try to find any other information as soon as possible and keep me updated about what you know. Like always, don't meet them until you're really needed.**

**Kakashi**

* * *

"You can give me Natsu so you can take a shower." Shikamaru said. He knocked onto Temari's bedroom door. He opened it and Temari was already in a bathrobe. "Where is he?"

Temari pointed to the bed, "He's already asleep, so you can just watch over him." She grabbed her towel, "If he happens to wake up, just pat him and hopefully he'll go back to sleep." The entire time that she was speaking to him, she avoided eye contact and scratched her jaw. Shikamaru realized something had happened, but decided to act as if he didn't notice.

"Okay." He walked over to the bed and lay down near Natsu, "Take your time." He got up in a hurry, "Wait, did you do your math homework for tomorrow?" He pleaded, "I forgot to do mine."

Temari finally laughed, "Yeah, sure. It's at the desk over there." She finally left to the bathroom.

Shikamaru walked over to the desk and sat on the chair. Pulling out the drawers for a binder paper to copy the answers, beside him was an opened laptop that caught his attention instead, well, in particular, it was an email addressed to Temari from someone he might know based on its content.

**To: Temari**

**Subject: What happened?**

**Mi-chan, is it true? You have a baby?! Since when? With whom? How come you never told us about it? I thought you trusted us and would be the first to tell us anything important as this! I'm so excited for you. I know how much you love kids, and I know you'll be a great mother, but this was much unexpected! Lols. Hey, you know how we always joked about whom would get knocked up first,? Well, it seems we know who now. It's weird, because you've never spoken about a boy, or at least told us anything about any of your relationships, and then, all of the sudden, you have a child! He better loves you- or else I'll come and find him to show him what kind of nice person you are.**

**…..Speaking of finding him…is it also true, too…that you're never coming back? Everyone was talking about it. We're sorry that you've felt that way during all those years you've babysat us. But, we really love you. Without you, my sisters and I wouldn't be so close as we are now. It's thanks to your love that got us together, honestly. You will always be a Mommy in our hearts because you were there for us. There were some nights that I'd wake up to see you running into my bedroom when I had a nightmare, or to just simply cover me up with a blanket.**

**I miss you. Please come back home.**

**Your nieces who love you and want to see you.**

**P.S. I want to see my baby cousin!**

Shikamaru exhaled after secretly reading the email. _That's why she looked so down._ He turned away from the screen. _They can't contact her by phone, but they can still contact her by email._ Shikamaru decided to check if there were more emails from her family since it had been two months that they've started a new life. He found out that all the family emails were sent to the spam section and she never replied to any of them, but it seemed that they've been read. Well, unless she just marked them as 'read' before sending them into the spam section. Feeling guilty and feeling as if he was one of the main reasons why she and her family ended up this way, he decided to copy down her nieces' email contact information.

Logging Temari out, he logged onto his. _Oh, Kakashi-san-nii-san sent me an email? Guess he's already in Hokkaido._ He was about to click that message but changed his mind. _I have to write this one first._

**To: Nieces**

**Subject: Replying for Temari**

**Hey, this is a friend of Temari. I accidently stumbled upon one of your messages to Temari, your auntie. She's doing fine, I can assure you that. I'm sorry that this had happened, but I can also assure you that she's not the one at fault; in fact, there is something that she is dealing with personally. Even I, a friend of hers, can't even help her even if I want to. You don't have to keep sending emails to her to ask how she's doing. I can send you updates about her and Natsu. Oh, he's our baby boy….You're right. She's a great mother. Assuming that you are Mariko's oldest daughter who wrote this message on behalf of your younger sisters, please don't tell anyone about this- not even your parents. As of now, seeing and knowing anything related to you guys hurt her more than not being to watch over you kids anymore.**

**Thank you, and take care.**

He quickly sent the email and logged himself out right on time when Temari came out of the shower. "You finished?"

Temari nodded, "Yeah." She glanced over at the laptop and sat down on the bedside. Without looking at Shikamaru, she asked, "Ne…I'm horrible, aren't I?"

Shikamaru got up and sat by her, "Why'd you asked that?" He knew her question was somehow related to the email. "I don't think you are."

Temari painfully smiled, "I just realized that I'm using Natsu as a guinea pig just for something so stupid." Shikamaru took the towel from under her hair and turned her around. As he helped air dry her hair, she continued to explain, "My intention is wrong, and I wasn't thinking about Natsu at all."

Shikamaru put the towel over her head and hugged her from behind as they lopped back and forth, "Baka. Even if you just wanted to see where you stand with your love-hate relationship with kids, what will be important for Natsu if he were to ask you why you had him or whatnot, part of your answer will be because you wanted to continue giving love to someone." Shikamaru looked at Natsu and Temari looked back, "I'm sure our son wouldn't care about how he came into the world, or who brought him into the world. I'm sure…our little boy would have a heart to reciprocate the beautiful love his fantastic mother has given him." He patted her as he ruffled her hair, "Don't worry too much about something so pointless."

On the verge of tears, Temari hugged him to not let him see it. Sniffing, she quietly said, "Arigatou."

* * *

"So, how many months have it been?" Matsuri whispered to Temari in the hallway at school. It was lunch break and the girls had just come out of the bathroom and had entered their class room to get their bento boxes.

Temari looked at her friend confusingly, "What?"

"Natsu." Matsuri said. "How long have you two had him?"

Temari raised a hand and started counting the months on her fingers, "It's November, so...two months since he's been with us, and five months since he was born." She took out her cell phone and looked happily at her cell phone wall picture of Natsu. Every day, it was a new picture of him. "He gets cuter and cuter every day."

'I know right." Shikamaru hopped in as he posed with a peace sign. He stopped them in their tracks. "Just compliment me straight out." He walked over to look at the picture, "I won't mi- Natsu?!"

Temari laughed, "Duh! Who'd you think it was? You?!" She glared back, "Never will I compliment you." Before pulling Matsuri to the side to walk away from Shikamaru, she handed him his bento box.

Shikamaru caught up to the girls on the staircase leading to the rooftop, "Oi, we're going the same way, so stop being secretive."

Temari scowled, "We're not being secretive. We're just casting you out." They opened the door and the two friends, Naruto and Gaara, were already sitting down waiting for them. They walked over. "We're here."

"Hurry up and let's eat." Naruto said as he rubbed his stomach. "I didn't eat breakfast because I was going to be late."

Everyone looked at him. "You were late- by an hour, too."

Naruto flashed a shy smile. "Can't blame me. Blame this girl." He showed his friends a secretly taken photo on his cell. It was the back of a girl standing outside their school. "I stood behind the trees waiting for her."

"To do what?" Shikamaru asked with his mouth full. Temari grimaced and handed him a napkin. Because he didn't take it, she wiped off his mouth for him. Shikamaru put out his chin for Temari to wipe off, too, just like a baby who couldn't do anything for itself. Temari scowled playfully at how childish he was. He childishly requested, "Wipe here, too."

"To come and talk to me." Naruto answered. Everyone looked at him with a confused and stupid expression. "But, she left without looking at me."

Temari put her chopsticks down, "Naruto, you were secretly looking at her. Of course she didn't notice you."

Naruto gasped, "Ah, that's right." He leaned back in regret. "Oh!"

Matsuri sighed and shook her head, "Sometimes, you prove yourself to be dumber than Shikamaru." Shikamaru glared back with his mouth full again.

Temari gave him a napkin. "Oi, slow down with the food or else you're going to choke!"

Naruto clicked his tongue, "Lucky. Matsuri cooks for Gaara because they're dating, but you!" He angrily pointed at Shikamaru, "You get food because she's Mrs. Yamada."

Temari and Matsuri covered his mouth. Temari hissed, "Don't say that- ever!"

Naruto removed their hands, "I know you two aren't a couple but-"

"It's not that." Temari said, "We never know who might be listening."

"But, no one's hardly up here."

"That's why she said that 'we never know who might be listening'." Shikamaru repeated. "The family register makes us an official couple and is accepted by the government, but that doesn't mean that the school knows or accepts it."

Naruto nodded, "Oh, that's true. I forgot." He apologized.

"But, what Naruto said has a point." Gaara commented. "Why couldn't you carry your own bento?"

"Because I carry our books." Shikamaru blankly answered, as if he was doing the hard work. "She carries the food."

Gaara uncapped his water bottle, "Makes sense." Everyone smiled. "Ne, you guys got any plans for winter break?"

Matsuri scowled. "Why are you talking about winter break already?!" Everyone confusingly looked at Matsuri for suddenly becoming angry. She noticed and explained, "My father and his stupid ugly fiancée are going on a trip celebrate their three-hundred day anniversary."

Naruto perked up in excitement, "Oh, where are they going?"

"Paris." Matsuri sadly said. "That was the place my parents went on their honeymoon."

"Are you going?" Temari asked. At the same time, she was pouring water over a napkin to wet it to wash Shikamaru's hands from the oil of the food.

Matsuri shook her head, "I'm going to stay. I can't go to Paris knowing that they're going to be in the same place my parents were once in love with each other!"

"You're going to be alone?" Gaara asked. Matsuri nodded. "Jaa, do you want to come over to my place?" He stuttered to explain himself when he realized he had indirectly implied something else, "Oh, no- not that!" He looked away, "It'll also be Christmas, so…"

Without having to hear anything more because she understood, Matsuri nodded. "I'd love to."

Naruto cheered his two love-bird friends, "Whoo!" He raised his eyebrows a couple of times in a happy mode, "I think Natsu will have a playmate next year!" Understanding what Naruto had just said, everyone playfully hit him for his perverted comment.

_Christmas…_ Temari smiled to herself. _It'll be my first Christmas with Natsu…A Christmas I can finally have._

Amidst the playful fighting, Shikamaru happened to look at Temari and saw her happily thinking to herself. He knew exactly what it was about and he was already hoping it would be the best, too.

* * *

"Hello!" Temari said as she peeked into the daycare center with Shikamaru behind her. She entered, "We've come to get Natsu."

The Day Care Center lady [OC] came out with a smile, "Welcome back. Your son is still sleeping in the nursery center." She pointed into the room, "Would you like me to get him?"

Temari shook her head, "No, thanks. We've got it." She turned to look at Shikamaru, "Can you give his stuff to Shikamaru instead? I can go get Natsu." She brightly smiled, "I miss him."

The lady nodded and led Shikamaru to where Natsu's baby bag was. Looking back at Shikamaru, she said, "She's always so happy to see him again at the end of the day." Handing Shikamaru the bag with everything, she added, "Not every parent I see picks up their child with a smile like hers." Tapping Shikamaru on the shoulder, she said, "You have a wonderful family."

Shikamaru thanked the lady and waited at the door for Temari. _A family…but, we're not really one. _"Got everything?" He asked Temari when he saw her. She nodded. "'Kay, let's go back home."

Onto the cold streets of the place, Temari made sure Natsu was warm by ensuring that he was covered at all times. "Ne, when we get home, can you turn on the heater to warm the house?"

"Sure." Shikamaru answered. "Oh, he's awake."

Temari smiled, "Yep. He's no longer sleepy." She tugged the beanie on Natsu's head, "Your neck isn't as wobbly as before." She kissed him, "Today, we gotta exercise again."

Shikamaru tap her knees with the backpack, "Aren't those stretches going to hurt him?"

Temari shook her head, "No. I stretch him just to get his body use to moving. It'll be helpful when he starts crawling. I did that to my kids to help them crawl faster." She frowned when she realized she spoke of her other kids.

"Ne, want a Christmas tree?" Shikamaru helped change the subject. "It's only a month away."

"It doesn't matter, really." They turned on a block, "I just want to spend Christmas with my family." They look at one another. At times like this was when they asked themselves if they were portraying their roles correctly or if it was really how they felt. This thought usually ended up being unspoken of. "Let's get a medium-sized one."

Shikamaru nodded, "Sure. Sounds great."

"It'll be our first Christmas together." They both said in sync. They laughed at themselves.

As they entered their house, they set everything in its place. Natsu was given to Shikamaru to turn on the heater while Temari went upstairs to change into her clothes before cooking dinner. Opening the slide door to their backyard, when she saw the Christmas lights being hanged at their neighbor's house, a thought came across her mind. _Christmas presents!_ She exhaled. _What should I give Shikamaru this year?_


	9. Chapter 9

"Today needs to end soon! It's going to be winter break in three hours!" Naruto exclaimed on the rooftop. They had finished eating and since it was the last day for the second term, things were leisure at school, especially the holidays of Christmas and New Year were just right around the corner. "I can't wait!"

"I can't wait, also." Matsuri said. She bashfully glanced at her boyfriend. "Today's Christmas will be very special." The three friends covered their mouths as they simultaneously thought of something dirty. Matsuri frowned, "Oi, not that. It's just..."

"We'll be together this year." Gaara answered. "Our first time together on Christmas."

"EH?!" The friends exclaimed.

Temari blinked, "But, you two have been dating for three years, and not once have you guys spent Christmas together yet?!"

"Impossible!" Naruto interrupted, "Last year, you guys were with us- together." He frowned, "So, you guys _did_ spent Christmas together."

Matsuri shook her head, "No. Christmas is one of those romantic holidays where couples have to be by _themselves_ for it to be considered romantic." She scowled at Naruto, "Not at a place where a group of friends were celebrating it in a small karaoke room." She whispered to Temari, but it was purposely loud enough for everyone to hear, "Temari, you were so lucky you didn't get to spend Christmas with us that year. Naruto's idea was a bore!"

Naruto raised his voice, "Hey!" He pointed at her, "You were the one who sang most of the songs- _and_ didn't let us go home until two in the morning." He looked away, "It was just because you had the money that they let us stayed without reporting us."

"Jaa, where are you two going?" Shikamaru asked. "What about you, Naruto?"

"We're going to have a dinner before waltzing down the streets of Harujuku." Gaara answered.

Naruto smirked to Gaara, "Are you two shopping or spending Christmas together?" He got smacked by Matsuri for mocking them. "As for me, well, my grandparents are visiting this time instead of doing their usual visit during the New Year holidays." He got excited, "Ne, since we can't spend Christmas together, let's spend New Year together!"

Everyone nodded, "Sure. Sounds great." It was a mutual agreement.

As the gang got up to head back down to their class, Matsuri came over to Temari and asked her, "Ne, what about you and Shikamaru?" Shikamaru looked back to listen to the girls' conversation. "How are you two going to celebrate Christmas?"

Temari answered, "Well, Shikamaru got a medium-sized Christmas tree. We'll be decorating it on before Christmas together." They turned on a corner, "I'll be preparing a small little celebration, too."

"Celebration?" The friends asked.

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah. We realized that Natsu be exactly a six-month baby."

"On Christmas?" Naruto asked. He opened the classroom door and walked in as he headed over to the desks of Shikamaru, Matsuri and Temari. His was all the way at the front row seat and Gaara's desk was in the middle. "_Exactly_ on Christmas?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah. Why?"

Naruto shook his head, "Just confirming," he smiled. "Eh, so he's a six-month baby already." He looked surprised, "I can't believe you two have kept him for so long."

"No news yet about his real parents?" Gaara asked.

Temari and Shikamaru shook their heads. "My/His brother will be visiting us over the break to give us more direct information."

"Well, that is if there isn't anything that requires his urgency to not come back." Shikamaru expanded. "So far, we've only gotten two messages from him- once when he landed, and second was when he only asked for the confirmation of our address, which was just yesterday that he had sent."

"So, basically, he hasn't been updating you guys about anything." Matsuri commented.

"It could be that- or, it could be that he really doesn't have anything to update us about." Temari defended Kakashi. "Besides, he's in a place where he knows no one and doesn't even have any concrete trail to find them."

"Ne," Naruto began, "you know how he said that he had to go through many connections to find that they were in Hokkaido?" His friends nodded, "What do you think were the connections he used? Why would those connections have _any_ connection to the parents whom none of us don't even know, especially him?"

"And, how would he know where to start or what to start with." Gaara added.

Shikamaru looked at his two friends, "What do you mean?"

Naruto couldn't defend his questions, but, thanks for Gaara's incoming question, he was saved. "What bothered me most is that he's willing to help- but in secrecy."

"In secrecy? How is he helping us in secrecy?" Temari asked. The bell rang before Gaara could explain. Everyone dispersed into their original seats. She tapped Matsuri, "Ne, do you know what Gaara meant by that?" Matsuri also confusingly shook her head. Temari and Shikamaru gave each other a look as if they hoped nothing bad was meant or implied.

* * *

"Now, this is the color red." Shikamaru showed Natsu a red-colored ornament. Natsu was sitting on a bouncer faced in front of Shikamaru who was standing beside a box of ornaments and the medium-sized Christmas tree. It was Christmas Eve and winter break had started two days ago. "The other one was color...?" Temari laughed from the kitchen while she cooked dinner. She found it funny and sweet that Shikamaru was already teaching Natsu all the different colors, shapes, sizes, and the pre-school basics to an infant that still hadn't understood the human language completely.

Natsu, about to be a half-one-year old baby tomorrow, had mastered the skills of rolling over, sitting independently, though, he still needed some supervision, and the best of them all, a beautiful laugh that lighted up their house.

"...green!" Shikamaru clapped, "You guessed it right, boy!" Shikamaru happily rushed over to give Natsu a kiss on the forehead, "Oi, Temari, our son already knows his colors!" He nodded proudly, "Our son is going to be a prodigy!"

Temari washed her hands after closing the lid on a pot. She ran over to them at the living room and sat in between Shikamaru and Natsu. Pinching Natsu's cheek, she said, "Of course our son is going to be a prodigy. He's smart...and handsome."

Shikamaru pushed her away, "Oi, don't start turning into a 'pedo-mom'! If you do, the 'Daddy-police' will arrest you!"

Temari pretentiously got mad and shoved him, "I can admire my son as much as I want to." She stuck out her tongue. Wanting to get her back, Shikamaru pinched Temari's puffed cheeks and ran away. Temari started chasing after Shikamaru as he defended himself by ensuring that their white couch was in between them. Almost exhausted, Temari decided to jump onto the couch and hoped that he'd catch her. Fortunately, he did. But, for him, it was a painful and wrong decision.

Because Shikamaru's hands were keeping Temari balanced on his upper body, he couldn't defend himself when Temari playfully abused his face. She tickled, pinched, and gently smacked all over his body. However, because the living room wasn't clean because everything was just laid out on the floor, Shikamaru slipped on an ornament and they both fell with Temari's back on the ground and Shikamaru on top of her.

They both lay there, gazing into each other's eyes while being in one another's arms. They wanted to stare at somewhere else, but embarrassment wasn't the problem for them. It was the fact that they're so close to one another...and for some unknown reason to themselves, they find it hard to pull their eyes away. It wasn't until Natsu's sweet laugh brought their attention to Natsu instead.

"Oi, the pot." Temari said. "I gotta go check the pot...in the kitchen."

Shikamaru stuttered shyly, "O-oh. Yeah." He got off of her and crawled to face Natsu instead of looking at Temari, "Yeah."

Temari awkwardly headed back into the kitchen.

It became real quiet.

* * *

"Nii-chan said he'll arrive here at the airport around ten, but he has to go do something, so he won't be coming over until later." Shikamaru explained as he read the email on the laptop downstairs.

Temari placed a mug with hot chocolate and many mini marshmallows down on the table, "Here's yours." She sat down with her legs crossed. She secured the cushions that were surrounding Natsu on the corner of the couch, "He didn't say anything if he has any information or not?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "Nope. Nothing." He took the mug, "Arigatou." He looked at her mug, "I thought you didn't like sweets."

"I don't like sweets, but I can eat them only after a long time." She raised her mug, "Because it's Christmas _and_ because it's been a long time since I had something sweet, this nourishes my cravings for something sweet." She pouted, "But, I don't think I like the marshmallows with my chocolate milk."

"Then, why'd you put it in?" Shikamaru asked as he sipped his.

Temari laughed, "Because I thought it would somehow change the taste. But, it's only a distraction that doesn't let me drink my hot chocolate."

"Baka, it's not supposed to be something to be finished all at once. Hot chocolate is supposed to be slowly devoured to warm your body up, especially when it's cold like this." Temari began picking out the marshmallows. Shikamaru grabbed the marshmallow from her fingers, "Oi, I'll take it." He picked up all of it and dropped it in his.

"Thanks." Temari said with a smile.

"I know you also don't like wasting food." Shikamaru happily said.

Temari came close, "That's why I always sit next to you during lunch- so you can finish my left overs."

"Then, stop giving yourself a lot." He pointed to himself, "Put more in mine instead."

Temari pouted and backed away, "No way! What happens if I'm not full and I want more?"

Shikamaru smiled, "Baka, do you think I'll let you starve?" Temari gave him a look as if she told him to think again before answering. He put on a serious expression, "Yeah, I would let you starve." The two friends laughed at the joke. "Ne, where's my present?"

Temari perked up, "What do you mean 'where'?"

"I want to open it now. Not tomorrow." Shikamaru said. "Since it's just us and you'll be giving Matsuri and their presents when we see each other on New Year's Day, just give it to me now." He cutely posed, "The sooner, the better."

Temari smiled, "No." She put her mug down and placed Natsu on her lap, "I'm going to give it to you on Christmas Day, not Christmas Eve, not a day later, too."

Shikamaru pouted. He looked down at Natsu and with a baby voice, he said, "Ne, Natsu. Your Mommy's being mean. She's not letting me open my present!"

Temari raised Natsu, "Natsu-kun, don't listen to your impatient Daddy. Temari knows best."

Shikamaru scoffed, "Oi, if you keep saying that, he'll think _you_ are the best!"

Temari stood up with Natsu, "That's because I _am_ the best." She headed up the stairs, "Leave the mugs there. I'll clean it tomorrow."

Shikamaru followed them as he turned off the lights, "No. No way are you the best. I am his Daddy so it only makes sense that _I_ am the best, not _you._"

Temari stopped at the top of the staircase, "Yeah, yeah." She raised Natsu's hand, "G'night Daddy." She said.

Shikamaru waved back, "Night Natsu." He clicked his tongue at Temari, "Night."

"Night." Temari smiled back. They both headed to their rooms at the same time. Just before Shikamaru closed his door, Temari shouted, "I AM THE BEST!"

Shikamaru chuckled at their childish game of who was the best in Natsu's eyes. As he leaped onto his bed, he looked at his bedside. There, near the lamp was a medium-sized wrapped present. He read the nametag. _To: Mommy, From Natsu._ He looked at the time on his phone, "Good. It's only eleven. At twelve, I'll go downstairs to put it under the tree."

* * *

Temari woke up, shocked. She looked at her alarm. _I forgot to set it!_ She got up quietly and swiftly to not avoid waking Natsu up. She had a blanket over her to keep her warm. It was around five in the morning and there was no sun or sunlight out yet. She walked over to the closet and took out a wrapped Christmas present that was thin and long. _It's okay. He's a late sleeper._

After opening her bedroom door, she walked downstairs. Her destination was the Christmas tree. Because it was still dark, she could hardly see what was in front of her. _I should've carried a flashlight._ Almost reaching the last few steps of the stairs, she bumped into someone. Nervous, she quickly started hitting all over the place with her present in her hands. "Oi! Get out of our house! Get out!"

"Temari?!" It was Shikamaru. When Temari stopped hitting at the sound of his voice, he turned on the flashlight and revealed her face. Stunned at the sudden brightness, she shoved it away from her eyes and rubbed her eyes. "What- what are you doing here?"

Angry at how scared she had gotten, she hit him a few times more, "Oi! What were _you_ doing?!" She calmed herself down, "I almost had a heart attack!"

He sarcastically added, "And I could've almost been beaten to death."

Not having any mercy, she hit him again, "That's what you get."

Shikamaru flashed his light at Temari's present that was in her hands, "Wh-what's that?"

Temari quickly hid it behind her, "N-nothing."

He smirked, "That's my present, isn't it?!"

Knowing that Shikamaru would try to take it from her, she took a stair step back up, "No. W-why would it be y-yours?"

Shikamaru widely smiled, "It _is_ mine!" He hugged her and tried to take it from the back with his hands. Temari tried to shove him away single-handedly but failed. He ran away from her.

Temari turned on the light to see where he was. At a corner, he was about to unwrap it, "No, don't!"

Shikamaru looked up and ran to the other side. He teased, "Why, is it something embarrassing?" The tag caught his attention. He read it out loud, "To: Daddy, From: Natsu." He laughed while Temari covered her face in embarrassment. "You wrote the same, too!"

Temari looked up. "The same?" They looked at one another. She realized the reason he was down stairs. She glanced at the tree and then at Shikamaru. He became alert and was now on the defense. As luck would have it, since Temari was closer, she got what Shikamaru was trying to defend- his present to her. She looked at the tag. It had the same words as hers, except it wasn't to 'Daddy,' but to 'Mommy.'

Temari teased, "Eh, so our son walked downstairs to give us our Christmas presents?"

Shikamaru decided to play along, "Well, what do you know? Our son can secretly walk now." They laughed. "Fine. Let's do this. Let's both sit down and open it at the same time." He glared, "Truce?"

Temari inhaled, "Truce." They both sat where they were standing at while looking at each other.

"K...one...two...three!" They both counted in sync. On the mark of three, they gently tear their wrapped present.

"W-whoa!" Shikamaru gasped. "You- how- when?!" It was a baseball bat. He looked at every detailed part of the bat and saw a number carved on it, "Thirty-one?" He looked at Temari confusingly.

She smiled, "I don't know a lot about baseball, but I do know that your favorite baseball player is number thirty-one."

Shikamaru jumped up and down, "Are you serious?! You got Ichiro Suzuki-san to sign this bat?!" Ichiro Suzuki is an active [and real] Japanese baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before he played in America, he played in Japan's NPB, Nippon Professional Baseball. [I coudn't find a Naruto character to replace this person and decided to leave it alone since he only has a small role.]

"Gomen, it wasn't signed." She looked away, "I didn't know how to get it signed officially, so I carved his number down as a good luck charm for whenever you play baseball." She smiled back at him "You've been scouted as a new member for our school's baseball team for next year, right?" Shikamaru nodded happily. "Then, I hope you could use it for your training."

Shikamaru let out a happy laugh, "Are you kidding me?!" He posed in his batting position, "Not only am I going to use it, I'm going to show it off!" After swinging it, he came over to Temari and sat beside her, "Thanks. Thanks a lot, Temari." He looked at his present to her, 'Check what's inside."

Temari looked down at her present from him and took off the top. Neatly placed and neatly folded were three pairs of differently patterned beige loose socks. Beside it was a Polaroid.

Shikamaru embarrassingly smiled as he couldn't raise his eyes to look at her, "You see...the weather's going to get colder...and we don't go straight home because we have to pick up Natsu. Since you're out in the cold longer... I got you those socks so your legs would be warm." He immediately went on to explain the Polaroid to change the subject but couldn't because Temari hugged him.

Smiling while closing her eyes because she was so thankful of his kind thoughts, Temari quietly said, "Thanks. This is the best present anyone's ever thought about for me." She pulled away from the hug. "I'm going to wear them when we go back to school."

Shikamaru shouted, "Oi, don't tell me that! You could just wear it without telling me, jeez." He turned to smile to himself in happiness.

Temari poked fun at him. She pretended to gasped in horror, "Don't tell me...you had dirty thoughts when-"

"-As if!" He quickly intervened before she could finish her comment. He was flustered of the situation, so he stood up. He gave her a look up and down and scowled, "Who'd like a girl like you- flat chest...scrawny!"

Temari scoffed. She stood up to his height and patted her chest, "How would you know that they're flat-" Temari rested her hands down. She silently admitted defeat. _They are flat. _

Shikamaru glanced away to avoid looking at her chest, "See, told you so!" He walked passed her and headed upstairs. "See you in three hours!"

Temari turned around and laughed to herself. This was the very first time she had seen a very shy and flustered Shikamaru...and she loved it. Looking back down at the presents he got her, she covered it up and carried it, "Thanks... 'Natsu'."

* * *

"Konnichi wa!" Kakashi said in a surprising manner. When he entered the house and saw Natsu in one of the bouncers that he had bought, he managed to put on a smiley face. "He can sit now?"

Shikamaru and Kakashi went over to sit by Temari and Natsu, "He can do a lot of stuff now."

"He's been very naughty lately. He rolls over when you're not looking, grunts until his face is red when he's mad, and mutters to himself when he wants attention." Temari smiled, "But, it just makes him cute." Temari took Natsu out of his bouncer, "Want to hold him?"

Kakashi immediately rejected her offer, "Oh, no thanks." He awkwardly smiled, "I don't think I'm at that level yet, especially since that he's not like before."

"But, before this, he wasn't stable. Now he is." Temari explained. She placed Natsu on Shikamaru's lap and he put his arms around Natsu, "See, even Shikamaru is fine with him now."

"That's good to know." Kakashi said. "Well, anyway..." He flinched in fear when the two teens jerked up to hear the possible good news. "..." Before continuing, he looked at Natsu sucking his thumb and drool was all over his mouth and bib. "...Gomen."

Shikamaru and Temari anxiously looked at one another. "Gomen...good, or...gomen...bad?"

Natsu started mumbling to himself and Kakashi decided to change the subject. With a normal tone, he said, "Actually, since it's not anything concrete yet, it's neither"

"Well, what is it?" Shikamaru sat up straight, "We'd still like to know."

Kakashi chuckled nervously. _I shouldn't have said anything._ "What do you say if I took Natsu for a few days?"

"Why?" Shikamaru asked. "I thought you aren't 'on that level' yet with him?"

Kakashi laughed at the words being used back at him, "Well, that's why I want to spend a few days with him before I head back." He looked over at Temari, "Will Mommy Temari give Natsu permission to hang out with his uncle?"

Temari played around, "Hm, I have to ask Natsu first."

Kakashi was surprised, "He- he can talk already?"

"No, he can't yet." Temari smiled, "I'm just 'telling' Natsu." She looked at Natsu, "Natsu-chan, your uncle will be taking you for a few days. You'll have to be away from your Temari for awhile, is that okay?" Kakashi waited for something to happen from Natsu, like a grunt or a smile or even a little voice implying yes. "Okay, Natsu said it's fine."

Kakashi blinked, "But, but he didn't do anything."

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, when he doesn't do anything, basically that's his 'yes' answer." Temari and Shikamaru laughed at how bewildered Kakashi was at the moment.

Kakashi was taken aback at the new language Temari and Shikamaru had mastered and came up with. "Ah, you don't call yourself 'mother' for him?" Kakashi asked. Shikamaru realized this and he looked at Temari for an answer. They see her hesitated to answer. She managed to pull a smile, but it was obvious that she didn't want to say anything regarding that matter.

Shikamaru decided to change the subject, "Well, when are you going to take him?"

Kakashi looked at his watch, "Now would be a good idea."

Temari questioned, "Why are you leaving so soon?"

"I have some errands I need to do."

"Well, you can leave him here if he's going to be in the way of your business."

Kakashi inhaled, "He won't; in fact, his attendance is somewhat important."

"Why?" Shikamaru and Temari asked at the same time.

Kakashi smiled, "For an excuse to leave my meeting earlier."

Shikamaru smiled, "Ah, it's one of Dad's conventions, right?" Kakashi nodded. "How are they doing?"

"Well, nothing's changed, except no one could do anything or say anything that will remind them of you." Kakashi answered.

Temari became confused, "Nara-san, you didn't tell them the truth about Natsu's relationship with Shikamaru?"

"I told him not to do so." Shikamaru said. "I'll tell them when this problem is over." He glared at the ground, "Besides, they're hardly home, so they don't really care. The only reason why they do care is because of the fear of their reputation."

Temari looked at Shikamaru without saying anything. _It seems that Shikamaru doesn't get along with his family since the very beginning._

Kakashi broke the tensed atmosphere, "Temari-san, may I get his clothes and stuff before we leave?"

Temari stood up and nodded, "Sure. Um, when are you planning to send him back?"

"Sunday evening before school begins again for you two."

"Why?" Shikamaru asked. "You're staying that long?"

"Is that also when you're returning back to Hokkaido?" Temari asked.

"Well, I figured you'd want to spend the holidays with your friends, so I'm going to take your Natsu to be my companion. I'm returning to Hokkaido that same evening, too. Don't worry, you'll get to spend the first day of the new year with Natsu"

Hearing the answer to her question, Temari headed upstairs to pack Natsu's stuff. As for Shikamaru, he waited until Temari's presence was gone to ask his personal questions. "When are they also leaving?"

"You mean Mom and Dad?" Kakashi asked back. Shikamaru nodded. "Well, this is Dad's last Tokyo convention, but there's one in Hiroshima, so he'll be leaving there on New Year's Day. As for Mom, she won't be attending this convention because she wants to take pictures and blog about how other places celebrate New Year's Day."

"Weren't you ever angry?" Shikamaru asked.

Kakashi sighed, "I was a bit depressed then, but never angry." He painfully smiled, "It's probably because I was already sent off to private school so I didn't get to experience what you experienced." He solemnly looked at Shikamaru with a guilt expression, "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me most."

Shikamaru exhaled. Smiling as he accepted Kakashi's apology, he said, "It was never your fault. I could never blame them, but...I just find myself unable to forgive them."

"Hai. Everything's here." Temari came down the stairs with two bags. "One is his clothes and bottle with the formula. One is his everyday needs- blankets, diapers, etc." She handed it to Kakashi and he accepted it, "On the side of the blue bag, I've written notes about what to do around him." She headed off into the room across the stair case. When she came back out, it was his car seat, "Here."

Kakashi pointed to the room, "Oh, so, how have you guys assigned the rooms?"

As Temari placed Natsu into the car seat, Shikamaru answered, "That room across the stairs is where we turned it into a baby room. That's where we keep his toys and stuff so it won't be all over the place. The room next to it is the laundry room. The guest room is the extra room upstairs."

Kakashi nodded. "I'm glad everything seemed fine so far." When Temari was done securing Natsu in, he walked over to the car seat, "Well, I'll update you guys about him." He carried the bags over his shoulder, "We'll be going now." Temari and Shikamaru stood at the door as they watched Kakashi placed Natsu in the car and drove away.

The moment Temari closed the door, she frowned, "Darn it! I forgot to give Nara-san his Christmas gift!"

Shikamaru looked up, "You bought my brother a gift?"

Temari nodded, "Yeah. Though, it's more of like a 'thank you' gift for all the things he's done and will do."

Shikamaru smirked, "Ah, you don't need to. It's only natural that he helped."

Temari scowled, "Why?' She came over to sit next to him at the couch once again.

"He's an adult." His answer was so simple and so irrelevant. He looked at Temari with a teasing smile, "You!" Temari flinched when he pointed at her, "You—you like my brother, don't you?!"

Temari got up in shock, "What are you saying?!"

Shikamaru's smile became wide, "You do like my brother! That's why you're like this." When a thought crossed his mind, he suddenly covered himself in disgust, "Eww! If you're married to my brother, you'll be my sister-in-law!"

Temari came over and hit his shoulder, "Baka! I don't like your brother!" She sat down and stole the remote to change the channel. Shikamaru looked at her to wait for her explanation, "I just admire him and respect him like how any younger person would respect an elder person." She glared at Shikamaru, "I'm not like you where anyone is fine." She stopped changing the channel and looked down sadly. "…besides…**I won't get married**."


	10. Chapter 10

"Ne, let's go buy mochi." Shikamaru said as he popped his head into Temari's room. She was folding her clothes. "I want to get some before the line gets super long."

Temari stopped folding, "Sure, let's do that." Shikamaru jumped in excitement. Temari walked to her desk, "Let me dress up and I'll see you downstairs."

"Hai." Shikamaru said. He was already ready. He knew Temari wouldn't reject the idea because mochi was definitely a must-have for New Year. When he secured and closed all the opened windows of the house, he sat down onto the couch and waited. _'Dress up'? _Shikamaru chuckled to himself at the thought of Temari dressing up nicely. To him, Temari did had a good figure, but it wasn't an appealing body figure to him. _She is the 'dress-y' up type?_ _Well, she is a girl._

"Hai, I'm ready." Temari stomped down the stairs.

Shikamaru stopped his thinking and stood up. "Ne, let's go-" He stopped talking when he saw Temari's clothes. He was in awe, mesmerized at how beautiful she looked in the clothes she was wearing. Because he was taken aback at how he was dazed off by the unusual clothing style of hers, he wanted to laugh, but couldn't find the energy to do so. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words. His eyes were on her outfit, looking up and down and his mouth was widely opened.

Temari scowled, "Sorry to disappoint you, but this is my usual outside clothing." She had on a dark blue cap, a manila-colored scarf, and a light pink sweater that was bigger than her. Dangling across her upper half body was a light brown cross-body purse the size of a small pouch. As for her bottom half, she wore sweatpants with brown ugg boots. "I prefer comfortable clothes."

"Do- do you always wear this?" Shikamaru asked.

"I usually wear this when I'm not attending school. You're the very first to see me like this." She solemnly looked away, "Actually, no one knows I wear this because no one was allowed to visit when I was still living with 'them'."

Shikamaru nodded, "No, no. It's nothing bad."

"Yeah, right." Temari said sarcastically as she sent him a smile, "From your expression, I know you were shocked at this outfit because it's not like the girls you usually see that are dolled and dressed up no matter where they go." She looked at herself, "I can't do that."

"I was shocked because it's the very first time I've seen a girl wear such…baggy clothes."

"Exactly." Temari laughed, "Come on, let's just go." She looked around, "Everything's okay?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Yep. Checked and locked."

"Then, let's go."

* * *

Temari and Shikamaru had arrived at the nearby multi-building supermarket fifteen minutes later by walking. There were a lot of people, so they had to stay close to one another and since Shikamaru was taller, he led the way while Temari held onto his hand.

Arriving at the most packed place, Shikamaru put Temari in front of the stand they were at while he stayed behind her.

"Ne, let's get three packs." Shikamaru pleaded, resting his chin on her right shoulder. "I love mochi! It'll last us for this week."

Temari calculated, "No. Let's get two packs instead." Shikamaru was about to say something but she continued with her reason, "**I don't like sweet stuff**, so you'll mostly be eating it." Her eyes gazed off and she saw the red bean mochi and got an idea, "Oh! Shall I make red bean soup?" She happily looked at Shikamaru and as she jumped in happiness, she said, "It's good for the cold weather like this!"

Shikamaru decided to surrender after seeing how excited she had become, "Sure, sure." Just then, someone bumped into something and fell in front of Shikamaru. "Oh!" He looked down. It was a little girl. She started to tear up. Fortunately, the one who saved the day before he died because of panic was Temari.

Temari came forward and started familiarly wiping away the girl's tears and reassuring her that nothing bad had happened. "It's okay. You don't need to cry." She hugged the little girl and started patting her, "You're fine. No one was hurt." She pulled away, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

The little girl shook her head.

"Do you know where your mommy is?"

As the little girl looked around her, she shook her head when she couldn't find her mother.

"We should take her to the Lost and Found Center." Shikamaru advised. "It's on the first floor."

"No, it's okay." Temari said. She picked up the little girl and placed her on her hips. Smiling, she said, "We'll find your mommy. I know she is also looking for you at this very moment." She looked back, "Let's keep looking around."

Shikamaru pulled her in and whispered, "Oi, why not send her there?" Temari was about to answer when suddenly, a heartfelt cry was heard behind them.

It was the mother of the daughter.

"Thank goodness you're here!" The mother said. Temari handed her the girl. "Thank you very much!"

Temari smiled, "You're welcome. I know it's crowded, but please do keep an eye on your little ones." She pinched the little girl's cheeks, "Don't stray away and remember to follow your mommy." She waved, "Bye bye." Turning back to Shikamaru, she said, "Let's go."

Shikamaru glared at her while they held hands again to make sure they won't lose each other, "Ne, did you knew where the mother was? Is that why you didn't want to take her to the Lost and Found Center?"

Temari burst out laughing, "I'm not a psychic. I didn't know where the mother was, but…" she unconsciously squeezed his hand, "…but, I did know taking her there wasn't going to help."

"What do you mean?" He had a feeling it was going to be related to her babysitting experience, but he wanted an affirmation.

"I, too, once lost one of my kids in a supermarket." She painfully smiled, "The very first thing that popped into my mind wasn't the Lost and Found center. At the time, the first thing that I thought I should do was to find her in the areas that we had been, hoping that she'd stayed there waiting for us." She stopped in the middle of the aisle and stared at the displayed products, "I knew that the mother wouldn't think of searching at the Lost and Found Center before looking around first. That's why I didn't take her there."

Speaking of the supermarket and babies, Matsuri's explanation of when she had saw Temari shopping while babysitting popped into his mind and a realization hit him regarding Temari's dress code for the day. "Ne, why are you wearing a cap indoor?"

Temari turned around and touched her cap, "Oh." She laughed, "It's because I don't want anyone to see that I'm babysi-" She stopped talking when she realized that didn't apply to her. Not anymore. Not ever. "Uh…"

_As I thought. She dressed like this so she could look more mature and more motherly-like. The cap is used to hide her face in case anyone from school sees her. _"It's okay." He put his free arm around her shoulders and confessed, "I really like this on you." He flicked her cap and smiled at her. With an honest and gentle whisper, he said, "I really do."

* * *

Temari scrunched her face after feeding Shikamaru the last mochi, "I can't believe you were able to finish one full box of mochi." She had to feed him because Shikamaru was holding onto the grocery bags as they walked back home after their moch shopping.

"I didn't eat it all...you ate one, too." Shikamaru defended Temari's hidden message of him being a fatty.

"They were too sweet." Temari said. "I should've bought the other kind." She took out the keys and walked to the door to open it, "Hai." She made way for him to enter. As Shikamaru entered the house, Temari saw a young man heading towards them, "Oh." Shikamaru turned around and saw the same man. "Hello." Temari greeeted. "Is there something we can help you with?"

Shikamaru walked forward to put Temari behind in case this man was dangerous, "Hello."

The man bashfully smiled and greeted them, "Hi, I'm Hayate, your neighbor on your left." He smacked his lips, "Honestly, I know this will sound absurd and I would totally understand it if you guys wouldn't let...but..." He paused to pick the right words to finish. "...if it's alright with you...may you help me with my proposal?"

* * *

Temari handed Hayate with a mug of coffee. They had invited him into their house after hearing an absurb asking of favor from someone they've met for the very first time. They were sitting in the living room having a discussion about it.

"You see...my girlfriend and I...have been going out for a half a year..."

_Wah, only half a year and they're already getting married?!_ Temari and Shikamaru thought to themselves.

"...and, since I'm going to be thirty-one soon-"

Temari and Shikamaru hopped out of their seats and shouted at the same time, "YOU'RE THIRTY?!"

A scared and shocked Hayate flinched as he nodded, "Y-y-yes..."

Temari exhaled deeply, "You don't look thirty at all. I thought you were at least in your early twenties."

Shikamaru nodded, "I thought so, too."

Hayate shyly thanked them for the compliment, "Anyway...I decided to use this time to propose to her. I want her to be rest assured that she can rely on me, trust me, and know that I can be there for her like no one has before." He looked at them sincerely, "I want to tell her I'm ready to start a life with her, now and forever." He sighed, "Please, I need your help. Your house is the only equipment I need to use."

Shikamaru and Temari became confused. Temari pointed up, "Our house? I-I- wait, what?"

Hayate nervously chuckled, "What I really need is for you guys to lend me your house."

* * *

Temari and Shikamaru had just finished dinner and were waiting for one thing- Hayate, their neighbor. They have decided to help Hayate and his proposal. His favor was that since Temari's bedroom balcony was close to Hayate's bedroom's balcony, he planned to enter his balcony from her balcony to surprise his girlfriend.

"I really don't see why you're helping him." Shikamaru said for the millionth time.

Temari smiled, "He's proposing to her. How can anyone not want to help?"

"Um, strangers, hello?" Shikamaru said in a sing-song voice. For a quick moment, when he said that, he sounded a lot like Matsuri. "We just met him today, and he came with such a weird favor that will forever leave us with a weird first impression of him."

"It's true, but I think we made the right choice."

"If our house was really the only option that he had, he should've found another way to propose." Shikamaru irritated said.

Temari sighsed "You know...even though it's more commonly known that a girl's big day is her wedding day...maybe for guys...the big part isn't the wedding...but proposing." She smiled, "It's just surprising that he's proposing to her already."

"I thought that, too!" Shikamaru immediately said, "I was shocked myself. I just hope they last."

Temari gently slapped him playfully on the arm for what he had said.

"Oh, he's here, I see him." He stood up to open the door.

"Konbanwa," Hayate greeted at the door. He entered in with papers in his hands. "Well, I've got everything planned out."

"Feel free to do what you need to." Temari said.

"Thanks."

Temari's heart fluttered, "Ah, she's so lucky already!" Temari clutched her hands nearby her chest, "If only more men were as sincere as you when they do anything."

"Oh, I'm sure your husband is sincere." Hayate said.

Temari and Shikamaru froze. It was the very first time someone had said the word 'husband' and implied the word 'wife' and implied the virtual family of the Yamada-san that they were portraying.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Hayate asked. "You two are married, right? I see you guys often with a kid."

Temari decided to change the subject, "So...so- what is the plan?"

"I'll be back at nine or so and use your balcony. All I need you to do is just lock your window for me once I leave." Hayate explained, "Of course, this won't go without you guys not credited, so if she accepts, you two will be invited as my special guests of honor."

"And, if not?" Shikamaru bluntly asks. Temari nudged him again and smiled to express her apology on his behalf.

"That's just what happened, then." Hayate honestly answers. "But, I don't think she'll reject me. We've known each other for twenty-two years."

"I thought you said you two have been dating for half a year only." Temari questioned.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that we were friends way before we dated."

It became interesting to Shikamaru, so he sat down with a teasing sneer, "Oh, so what made you get captured by her?"

Temari sat back near him and gave him a glare to tell him to stop being rude to Hayate with his remarks.

Hayate didn't mind. "Actually, I think it was the fact that we were friends that made me fell in love with her. I just didn't realize it until half a year ago."

Temari felt secured knowing that Hayate's proposal will go well, "Then, I'm glad for you two."

"Thank you." he stood up, "Well, I'll be going cause she'll be here in a few minutes." He headed outside, "See you guys around nine."

* * *

It was nine-twenty-four p.m. and Temari and Shikamaru had patiently waited for Hayate's arrival to their house to head up to Temari's room.

"Ne, want to play a game while we continue waiting?" Shikamaru suggested.

Temari was cuddling herself with a light lavender blanket that belonged to Natsu. "Sure. What game?"

"Our neighbor got me this idea- let's see how much we know about each other." Shikamaru said. "They've known each other for twenty-two years, but, hey, we've known each other for five years, so it should be enough."

Temari thought for a moment, "Okay. Sure." She removed the blanket, "How many questions?"

"How about ten? Each of us gets to ask ten questions and we have to write the answer down- so, it's a total of twenty in total."

"Okay." Temari pouted, "But, can you get the papers and pens? I'm scared to go by myself."

Shikamaru sighed, "Baka, it's your own house." He stood up, "I'll be back-woah!"

Temari tugged on his shirt, "Never mind! I go, too!" Shikamaru laughed at the scaredy-cat Temari who was tightly grabbing ahold of his t-shirt. "I just don't want you telling me that I'm lazy." She stood up and fixed her attire, "Let's go."

"I'm not going to call you lazy...you're just a scaredy-cat...a huge one!"

Temari gave him a death glare, "Are you saying I'm fat?" They both knew Shikamaru didn't say it to imply anything, but she couldn't help saying it.

Shikamaru teasingly looked away as if he said 'yes.' He waited for an incoming abuse from her; however, he didn't receive one. "You're not going to hit me?"

"Why would I hit you?" Temari laughed. They were on the top of the stair case and started heading into Shikamaru's room.

"I implied that you were fat, didn't I?"

Temari smiled, "Well, as sad as it is, and embarrassing as it is, it is the truth. I can't deny that, nor can I get mad." She pursed her lips together, "Besides, I rather hear it from you than any other person."

Shikamaru became interested as he looked for scratch-papers, "Why?"

With an honest and sincere expression, she answered, "I don't know. There is always something about the things you say to me. They make me feel..."

Shikamaru hopped over, and interrupted her comment, "Oi, are you going to like me?!"

Temari playfully hit his shoulders, "Baka. Whoever likes you is the unluckiest girl ever."

"Why is that?! Don't start badmouthing my future girlfriend!"

"Don't you mean wife?" Temari said. The moment she said that, both of them stood still. _Wife, huh. After we divorce when this problem gets solved, he's going to start his real love life with another girl. _She glanced over at Shikamaru who had a similar a thought as hers. With a sigh, she decided to change to the subject, "Got the papers?"

"Ne, why did you said that you won't get married?" Shikamaru asked. "You said that when Kota-nii-san came over and left with Natsu."

Temari had a feeling this conversation would lead to something uncomfortable, so she decided to look for the papers herself in his room as she avoided looking back at him, "Why are you asking that? I was joking of course."

"No, you weren't." Shikamaru immediately counter-argued. "I know when you're joking and I know when you're not."

"Shikamaru- it was really a joke, of course I'm going to get married." _Since when did Shikamaru become so nosy at my business?_ Seconds later, she felt Shikamaru's arms put over and across her shoulders, enclosing her into the embrace of his arms. Even though it was dark in the room with only the source of light seeping through from his window, she could sensed Shikamaru's depressing face that was leaning on her shoulder. "Shika…maru?"

"Jaa...even after divorce...I won't get married...until you get married." Shikamaru confidently said. He squeezed her shoulder, assuring her of his declaration. _I won't leave you alone if you're planning to raise Natsu as a single-mother._

Temari gently touched his arms. With a faint smile, she quietly said, "Baka..."


	11. Chapter 11

"Ohayou," Temari said as she set the table with warm foods and soups. She frowned when Shikamaru popped down onto his seat. Putting her hands on her hips with a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in another, she ordered, "Oi, go back upstairs, wash your face, change into your clothes, and then come back down to eat."

A very tired Shikamaru laid his head down on his arm, "No. I'm too tired to do that. Let me eat first and then get changed."

Temari walked over, "Did you played games all night?" Shikamaru nodded his head as he closed his eyes. Temari smiled, "Fine. I'll let this passed." She walked over to the stove and muttered, "You lost countless times anyway."

Shikamaru jolted up, "How'd you know?!"

Temari laughed, "I heard you ranting and whining about not being able to pass a level or something."

"The fourth boss!" Shikamaru corrected her because it was a big deal to him. "Naruto beat him with lower levels than mine, yet I can't!"

"That's because he's Naruto." Temari said, "He's good with computer games...and other gaming stuff."

Feeling depressed, he walked over and sluggishly sat on the counter, "Then, what am I good at?"

Temari looked at him, "Don't sit on the counter, you might get burn." She warned him before she answered with a thought. She slyly smiled, "Oh, I didn't have to give it a thought. Silly me."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes impatiently, "Hai hai, let's get passed the talking-to-yourself phase and get onto the answering phase." He flashed a smile with Temari gave him a look.

"You're good with handling girls." Temari said. "That's a good thing...I guess."

"You guess?!" Shikamaru popped down, "Why are you guessing?! I _am! _Every time Naruto and I go to goukons, _I_ always get the girls."

"And he always gets to date them." Temari added.

It always ended up like that. Shikamaru was the eye candy and a ladies' man, but, from personal stories that Temari had heard from the girls, Naruto seemed to match them after hanging out with Shikamaru for a while.

Shikamaru looked away, "That's cause they haven't seen the good stuff."

"The good stuff?" Temari questioned. "What good stuff?"

Shikamaru sneered. He looked down and implied that his good stuff was his little brother down there. "_My_ good stuff."

Temari rolled her eyes in disgust and laughed as she knew he was being silly. As she shoved him away with the spatula, she said, "Just go and get changed."

Shikamaru took a few steps and turned around to joke, "Ne, since I'm changing, want to go see how it looks like?"

Temari shrieked and blushed, "Oi, just go!" Temari turned her attention to cooking and ignored him. _That baka._

* * *

"Shikamaru, your phone is ringing." Temari shouted from upstairs as she was getting her clothes to do laundry. She entered his room and grabbed his phone just in time when Shikamaru rushed up. She gave it to him as she looked at the caller. "Oh, it seems your Coach is calling you."

"Coach Asuma?" Shikamaru grabbed the phone and answered it, "Moshi moshi?" He whispered to Temari, "Ne, can you do mine, too?" He put his palms together to beg. After receiving a smile, he headed downstairs.

Temari looked around his room. _Laundry?_ It was a mess. There were clothes, pens, and papers on the floor. _I guess boys' rooms are messy and disorganized._ She's never had a younger brother nor a younger sibling, so she never had to clean up a mess after anyone else but hers. But, it wasn't that she mind, she loved cleaning and organizing, but she just didn't know how to work around things since it wasn't her stuff. "I'll just wash everything then. He won't say anything. Even if he did, I did the work."

In the laundry room downstairs, Shikamaru opened the door. In a sing-song voice, he said, "Guess who'll be using their new baseball bat?!"

Temari's eyes widen, "What?! Baseball training has begun?" She stopped putting the clothes into the washing machine and went over to him, "When?"

Shikamaru flexed his invisible muscles, "The third of January."

"Oh, so that's in less than a week." Temari thought to herself. "Are you going to start working out now?"

"Why?"

Temari patted his stomach, "So that you won't be sore when you do the training with Coach Asuma."

Shikamaru whined, "Ah, that's right. I also have to get up an hour early before school for training, too, once school begins!"

"Why are you complaining, you've been doing it for...two years?"

"Three years."

"Yeah, three years." Temari said. She walked back to doing her job.

Shikamaru came over with a long exhale, "Maybe I should quit the team."

Temari stopped what she was doing again and looked at him with worries, "Why? What for?"

"What about Natsu? What about taking him to his daycare in the morning and picking him up afterschool?" Shikamaru explained, "I can't let you do that yourself."

Temari stopped him from continuing on trying to reason a way out of his baseball team for her and Natsu, "No. Stop. you don't have to worry about us. What you're doing is already doing something for us." She hugged him with a smile, "Be a baseball father Natsu can be proud of." She pulled back, but her arms were still around him, "That way, you two can play baseball together."

"Really?" Shikamaru asked. "Really, really?"

"Really." Temari said. She removed her hands from him, "Besides, who do you think I am?" She laughed, "I am Temari, and I can handle this little problem." She gave him a light punch on the chest, "Be the man I can be proud of, too."

* * *

Temari and Shikamaru have been cleaning their rooms and the house for the new beginning of the year and the ending of the year. It was a ritual done in the traditional Japanese customs for welcoming the good things and ending the bad things of the previous year and the New Year. Their New Year cleaning came into a halt when Temari received a phone call from Matsuri.

"Yeah, we're home. Why?" Temari put the broom down and sat on a nearby chair, "Now?" She looked around the room, "Sure, I guess. K. See you." When she hanged up, a curious Shikamaru asked her about who called. "It was Matsuri. She's coming over."

"Just her?" Shikamaru asked.

Temari blinked. "Well, I'm sure they're together. They're always together."

Seconds later, the doorbell rang and Shikamaru headed over to open the door. To their surprise, it was Matsuri. Just Matsuri.

"Where's Gaara?" Shikamaru asked as he scanned his front yard.

Matsuri angrily barged in, "I don't know. Why won't you look for him yourself?" She sat at the couch and made herself comfortable by eating the snacks at the table. "Don't mind me. But, let me warn you right now, if Gaara called or is at the door, don't answer or let-'

The doorbell rang again and Shikamaru opened it. It was Gaara this time.

"Don't let him in!" Matsuri whined. "Why did you open the door?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "You didn't complete your sentence, and...I thought it wouldn't be Gaara."

"What's wrong with you two?" Temari came over as she placed her mop on the floor. It was the very first time she had seen her two friends not being lovey-dovey to one another.

"I don't know. Why won't you ask Mr. I-don't-know-anything-about-my-girlfriend-at-all?" She raised her chin at Gaara.

Gaara was calm and relaxed even after being mocked by his girlfriend. He came over, sat closely beside her and spoke in a very soft manner, "Gomen. It's not that I don't pay attention to you...it's just..."

"Just what? We've been going out for four years, and you don't know more than thirty percent about me?!"

"Thirty percent?" Temari and Shikamaru questioned, but they weren't answered.

"You shouldn't need to pay attention to that." Gaara said.

Matsuri scoffed and moved away to sit at the opposite side of the couch, "I shouldn't pay attention to how much you know about me?! That's what determines how much you like me!"

"Okay, what's going on?" Shikamaru stepped in as he felt that the argument was going out of bounds, especially since Matsuri was shouting.

Matsuri looked away because she didn't want to tell the experience, so Gaara explained. "Matsuri and I were at the shopping districts and we came across this store that was doing a last-day Christmas event for couples. We-"

"Go get some papers. And pens." Matsuri said as she stood up from her seat. She glared at Shikamaru to obey and he did. Temari hoped Matsuri would give her a job, too, so she wouldn't have to be in the awkward scene, but Matsuri didn't. When Shikamaru came back, he nicely handed it to Matsuri. "Now, you two are going to do it."

"Do what?" Shikamaru asked.

"What we did." Matsuri answered.

"But, we're not a couple," Temari said.

"Exactly. If you two aren't a couple, then you two shouldn't get more than three answers right about one another." Matsuri reasoned. "But, unlike_ us, _it seemed that we're strangers even though we've been dating for more than a year!"

"Matsuri..." Gaara tried to speak but Matsuri ignored him.

"Okay, you two just turn around and write an answer to my questions."

Temari perked up, "Oh, this was the game we were going to do yesterday."

"Eh?" Matsuri asked, "You guys were at the event, too?"

Shikamaru shook his head, "No, we came up with an idea after our neighbor asked us for a favor."

Matsuri became disinterested. "Oh, then, what was the score? How well do you two know each other?" Shikamaru and Temari bashfully looked away because Matsuri's question brought back the embarrassing conversation and declaration that they both had. "Well, what was your guys' score?"

"We never really finished playing it." Temari answered. "Something else came up."

Matsuri became interested again, "Then, let's play it now. Okay, first question. What is..."

* * *

About five minutes later, after all the questions have been asked, Matsuri took the papers and tried to compare and contrast the results with hers and Gaara's. Just seconds later, Matsuri dropped the papers in rage and started to head out the door. Temari stopped her in time.

"Where are you going?" Temari asked. "Gaara has wanted to make up with you all this time."

All of this was happening while a curious Shikamaru decided to look at the answers himself to see how well he knew Temari and vice versa.

Matsuri scoffed, "Well, I don't want to anymore. We're-"

Temari covered her friend's mouth, "Don't say it." She pulled Matsuri over to Gaara and grabbed both of their hands, "Listen to me, Matsuri." With an exhale, she continued, "You two have been dating for so long, and for you to get mad over this trivial thing isn't worth it."

"It's not trivial, Mi-chan!" Matsuri defended her actions.

"Yes, yes it is." Temari let go of Gaara's hands to clasp hers in Matsuri's, "Why are you going to let a piece of paper or game determine how much Gaara values you? Besides, who knows you best is always going to be yourself, not Gaara. Just because you two are dating does not mean he knows everything about you." With an added smile, she said, "But, I'm sure that Gaara knows you best out of all of us. That, I can bet my life on it."

Matsuri finally accepted that she was wrong and had tripped over nothing. Embarrassed, she quickly glanced at her boyfriend and then looked down.

"If you think Gaara doesn't pay attention to you, maybe that's cause he's too busy admiring you." Temari added. She then put Matsuri's hand into Gaara's hand, "There's always a reason for everything. His just happens to be loving you too much." Putting her arms around her friends, she happily concluded the argument, "So, what do you guys say about putting this behind us?"

"I'm okay." Gaara said immediately. He looked at his girlfriend to confidently express that he was always going to be hers.

"Matsuri?" Temari asked. "What's your answer?"

Matsuri finally looked up and with a slight smiled and quietly said, "Okay..."

Temari flashed her teeth and pretended that she was a priest for a wedding ceremony, "And you two may hug one another." Her friends did so and started apologizing to one another and making up with each other. Temari took this chance to go see the results that were in Shikamaru's hands. "I wanna see."

Shikamaru handed her the papers with no expression. He didn't look at her. Or, said anything. He just gave it to her. When Temari looked at it, she had the same expression as he did when he saw the results. _Lies. So impossible!_

Matsuri came over hand in hand with Gaara, "Shocking, isn't it?"

"What were the results?" Gaara asked his girlfriend.

"They only missed one question!" Matsuri shrieked, "It's weird because they're not even dating but they have the same answers." Matsuri laughed, "But, I guess it's like what you've said Mi-chan. Don't let a paper and a game determine your relationship."

"Which question did they missed?" Gaara asked.

"Who was your first love." Matsuri answered. "Mi-chan wrote 'any girl' and Shikamaru wrote 'she had one' with a question mark." She sneered at Shikamaru playfully, "Of course Temari had..." she stopped herself and then excitedly changed the subject, "Hey! Let's go out and have fun."

"On a cold day like this?" Shikamaru asked. He looked around the house, "But, we're still cleaning."

Gaara looked around, too, "Where's Natsu? Asleep?"

Temari grabbed the mop again, "No, he's with his uncle. He's going to come back tomorrow evening. Just in time for the hatsumode."

Matsuri and Gaara sat down together. Matsuri crossed her legs, "Kakashi-san isn't going to stay for the New Year celebration in Tokyo? It's the best one of all."

"No, he wants to go back before the airport gets very crowded." Shikamaru answered. "So, are you guys going to help us clean or-"

The doorbell rang again and Temari and Shikamaru hoped it wouldn't be Naruto imposing on them, too, with something problematic like how Matsuri and Gaara had done.

"I'll get it," Temari said as she walked over. When she opened the door, it was Matsumoto-san. "Konbanwa."

"Konbanwa."

Temari let him in and he greeted Matsuri and Gaara. Sitting on a separate couch, he slid his hands across his legs and inhaled deeply. Temari and Shikamaru knew he was here to tell them about the result of yesterday's proposal between him and his girlfriend. "Well, I'm sorry to say this...but...WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!"

Temari gasped and Shikamaru cheered for him. Shikamaru and Jun shook hands and Shikamaru congratulated Jun.

"I couldn't have done this without you two, so, I'd really like it if you two could also be at our wedding." Jun looked over at Shikamaru's friends, "Your friends are invited to come, too, if they'd like."

"When is this?" Temari jumped in ecstatic, "I'm so happy for the both of you two!"

"Next year, in the spring."

"Summer sounds good." Temari commented as if she had planned a lot of weddings, but it was actually because **she had seen most of her older siblings' weddings.**

"We don't know the exact date yet, but when we do, I'm sure you guys would be the first to know." Jun smiled. He stood up, "Well, I don't want to interrupt you guys anymore, so I'll be taking my leave now." He bid them goodbye and headed out the door to his place.

Temari skipped over to Matsuri, "Ne, want to go with us?"

Matsuri frowned, "But, we don't even know him- or them."

Temari pointed to herself and Shikamaru, "We don't know them as much as you two, too, but let's all go- with Naruto, too! It'll be a wonderful experience!"

Gaara chuckled, "Temari-chan, you're excited like a bride."

Temari stopped smiling and Shikamaru caught this. "Oh...really?" She headed back to get her cleaning stuff, "I'm...well, you know." She headed towards the stairs, "Shikamaru, I think we're done cleaning for the day." She took a step up, "I'll be back down, guys."

"Did I say something wrong?" Gaara asked. He always thought carefully before saying anything, so when Temari just switched expressions, he knew something was definitely up.

"No, it's not you." Shikamaru said. He sat on the same spot that Jun had sat and interlaced his fingers together, "It's probably something I said yesterday. But, I was being honest."

Matsuri took a step forward with a threatening aura, "You have ten seconds to summarize what you did wrong before she gets back down, Mr. Dark Side."

"After Kakashi came over to get Natsu, I jokingly asked if she liked my brother. She told me she just admires him, and then muttered something about not getting married - ever. Then, with my big mouth of mine, I decided to ask her about it."

"...and you said?" Matsuri impatiently asked.

"I said that I won't be getting married until she does."

"WHAT?!" Matsuri and Gaara exclaimed.

Shikamaru stood up in defense mode, "But, I mean it! I will do it! I can't let her watch Natsu for life and take the responsibility for some unknown jerk who really is the father!"

"Why'd you say that?! I mean, asking her about it is one thing, but to declare something that can change..." Matsuri said as she pitied Temari at the moment. "You're just going to make her worry about it even more."

"It?" Gaara questioned. "What is 'it'?"

Matsuri covered her mouth. This was the only thing she disliked about her boyfriend. He had sharp ears that paid attention to every single detail.

Shikamaru came over. After checking that Temari wasn't near the stairs, he asked, "You know something about it, don't you? It's related to her emotional instability, isn't it?"

"Look, let's just-"

"We can't just let this go." Shikamaru interrupted Matsuri. "Well, not me." He ruffled his hair, "I don't know why...but, anything related to Temari...just gets to me."

Matsuri's eyes widen. _Don't...Shikamaru, you...!_

"Temari annoys you?" Gaara was confused. "She's not annoying." Matsuri rolled her eyes and looked at her boyfriend to signal to him that he thought wrong.

Shikamaru shook his head, "No, it's not that. Temari can never annoy me. It's just..." His eyes pleaded to Matsuri, "Can you just tell me what's up? My job is to simply make sure that our family is okay. And, I want to do that."

Matsuri exhaled in relief. _So, it's not what I think it is. He's just playing his husband role. Good grief, you scared me. _"Fine, but you can't tell Temari about this. I'm telling you because you're her 'husband' now...and well, Gaara's my boyfriend...and her friend." She glanced at the stairs to check for Temari's existence. "**When she first starting babysitting, she only had to watch Mariko's two kids, right? After Mariko became pregnant with the third girl, Temari was still okay. But, she began to question her marital future when Mariko became pregnant with the fourth girl. At the same time, her other older siblings started having marital problems and that's when everyone else started asking for her to sleepover and babysit while the parents would just party away or do other stuff as if they're still single. After seeing too much of the different and hectic marriage lives, she decided marriage isn't for her**."

"You mean, she became scared of getting married?" Gaara asked.

Matsuri shook her head, "No. She became scared of the_ marriage life_. If she were scared of _getting_ married, she wouldn't have been so excited about her neighbor's marriage. But, she's not. That's why, this year, I'm hoping that before we graduate, I'm going to make sure she gets a boyfriend."

Shikamaru scoffed, "And, _I'm_ the dark side? Matsuri-san, you're the one introducing her to the world of wolves." _Isn't that's what Temari's father had labeled us to keep Temari away?_

"You-" Matsuri's verbal abuse came to a halt when Temari came downstairs in a more comfortable outfit. Everyone looked at her in surprise except for Shikamaru who had seen her weird fashion sense and mismatched clothes. "Mi-chan...?"

Temari smiled and sat on the couch, already expecting what responses to her attire, "Hai, I know what you're going to say, but I'm not going to change. I didn't like the shirt that came with this so I only kept the pants. Besides, like I told Shikamaru, I'm going for comfort, and...well," she pursed her lips, "I'm not going to flaunt to anyone anyway."

Matsuri wanted to shriek, but didn't. "It's not called 'flaunting.' It's just girls dressing up to...well, look decent." She scoffed, "Well, some girls don't even look decent in what they're wearing, but you-!" She pointed up and down at Temari, "This isn't even appeasing to the outside world! As your friend who loves you-"

"I like it." Shikamaru said. He came over to stand near Temari, "It suits her. It's not appeasing to the eyes of others because it's someone else. But, if it's Temari, it's damn hot."

Temari blushed and socked him on the arm for making a sexual comment about her. She didn't mind, but she wasn't used to getting such great compliments like this, especially when she was already expecting the opposite answer and reaction.

Matsuri looked back and forth between Shikamaru and Temari, who were looking at one another and playing with each other. _Shikamaru...do you even know what you're saying? You don't say that to a 'friend'! _"Shin-chan, let's go."

Temari stood up, "Already? You're not going to stay?"

"No, I want to continue our date. Hey, let's attend Hatsumode together when Natsu comes. With Naruto, too." Matsuri said without looking back at her friends. Now, she had another worrisome thought in her mind and it involved Temari and Shikamaru. "Let's go." She grabbed and pulled Gaara out the door.

As Shikamaru closed the door, Temari looked at her outfit again, "It must've been a shock to her. You were shocked the first time, weren't you?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Yeah, but like I said, I can take it."

Temari smiled, "Cause I'm hot?" She laughed.

Shikamaru put his brows together, "Now, lady, don't start becoming too conceited."

Temari teased back, "I'm not being conceited. I'm just saying what you said...I'm hot...and you're not."

"Cause I'm sexy!" Shikamaru shouted as he put his fists in the air. Suddenly, the conversation turned into a competition of looks. "Can't beat that, can ya?"

"Now who's conceited? I didn't say that you were sexy." Temari retorted. "I can't believe I know you." She walked away.

"Hey!" Shikamaru ran after her and the two started a chasing game, "Call me Mr. Sexy!" As he ran around trying to corner her, he would pose like a model and it made Temari laughed. "Can't have enough of me, huh?" The two played their own little game for the day as they thought about nothing else.

* * *

"What's wrong, Matsuri?" Gaara asked his girlfriend who was walking at a hasted pace before him. "It's weird of you to do that to Temari."

Matsuri stopped and immediately turned to face her boyfriend and bumped into his chest. After rubbing her nose because of the pain from the bump, she interrogated him, "Ne, you're a boy, aren't you?"

Gaara nodded.

"When you say something like that, do you guys mean it? Or, can you guys just say it to anyone?"

"Say what?"

"Say what Shikamaru had said to Mi-chan." Matsuri answered impatiently.

"He said a lot of things. I don't quite know which one are you referring to."

Matsuri sighed, "The 'she's hot' part."

Gaara opened his mouth. Looking away, he quietly muttered, "You're hotter."

Matsuri blinked uncontrollably because it was unexpectant; however, it didn't last long because she had to get this problem of hers sorted out for once and for all. "Th-thank you. I mean..." She stopped because her boyfriend got all shy and embarrassed after confessing something that wasn't his personality at all. She decided to award him for saying something so bold, so she tip-toed, rested her hands on his shoulders and went in for a kiss as she closed her eyes. Gaara almost fell backwards but quickly gained his balance. When Matsuri stopped the kiss, she didn't look at her boyfriend because she became embarrassed.

_I love this side of her._ Gaara smiled and took her hand in his one by one. He raised her chain so that she'd be forced to face her.

Halfway, Matsuri stopped him. "No! Don't look at me right now." She muttered, "I'm embarrassed. Gomen." They have had plenty of kisses together, but this one was just different. It had a cute confession before kissing.

"I'm embarrassed, too. But, you're too cute." Gaara said. "Ne, look at me." Matsuri hesitated before she gave in and looked at her boyfriend. "You're always hot." Without losing a moment, he lightly planted a sweet and soft kiss on her small lips and hugged her tightly to bring their bodies close to each other.

* * *

"Good night." Temari said as she headed to her door. It was already past eleven and their bodies were tired and sore of all the house cleaning they did today.

"Good night." Shikamaru said back. The two waited at their door as they both played the game of you-go-first. "Fine, on three."

"One." Temari started off with a shy smile.

"Two." Shikamaru continued.

"Three."

The two playfully closed their door and then immediately opened it again.

"Shikamaru!" Temari whined. "You go first."

"What did I do wrong? You didn't close it, too." Shikamaru defended. "It's ladies first." He came out the door, "Gomen I forgot."

Temari widely opened her door and stepped out in worry, "What? What did you forget?"

"YOU'RE NOT A LADY!" Shikamaru finally entered his room and closed his door, just seconds after giving her a peace sign.

Temari pouted, "Meanie!" She headed back into her room, "Then, you're not a gentleman!" She finally closed hers and walked to her bed. As she removed her covers, Natsu's blankets were under it and brought back what Shikamaru had confessed. "Marriage...huh." _That means...I have to get married...or else he won't._

* * *

Date this chapter was published: February 14, 2014 [SFRI 10:58 PM

Date next chapter will be published: March 1, 2014 [SAT]

Thank you for reading/commenting/following!

This chapter is to express my love for my wonderful, supportive, encouraging supporters, subscribers, and readers! Happy Valentine's Day!


	12. Chapter 12

Gai put a glass of juice on the table for his friend. He went to sat in the opposite direction and crossed his knees, "So, leaving today? What time?"

Kakashi took a sip, "Around four. Plane doesn't leave until seven."

"The baby's so adorable." Gai said. "I guess you really aren't good with kids. That's why he fell asleep."

"That's why I'm doing it." Kakashi said. Under his breath, he muttered, "And he, too."

"Doing what?" Gai asked, "This whole mother-hunt thing?"

Kakashi nodded, "I really did not expect this to happen."

"I'm sorry," Gai said sarcastically, "did you not know that even for first timers, you can still end up knocking someone up?" He raised a brow and looked away, "I thought you were smarter than that."

"That's why I stopped drinking." Kakashi confessed. "Whenever I look at him, I..."

"...see her?" Gai finished in a whisper. Kakashi exhaled silently. Gai leaned inward to his friend, "Hey...yesterday, I saw the picture. You keep it in that book?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Are you still going to go along with this?" He gave Kakashi a look for a direct answer. Gai knew that Kakashi usually lied about his answers and did the opposite, but being the person he was, Gai wasn't going to let that happen, especially since he was now involved.

"Yeah." He looked at the car seat where Natsu was asleep in. "I'm going to find her. I will find her."

* * *

"Kawaii!" Temari exclaimed in happiness when she saw how Natsu was dressed in a traditional Japanese clothes with a haori and sneakers. The two didn't match, but it was cute on Natsu. She took Natsu out of the car seat and started speaking in baby language with her to make up for the days she missed him.

"Aren't you guys getting ready for Hatsumode?" Kakashi asked.

Temari pinched Natsu's cheek softly, "We are, but we're waiting for our friends. I need help putting on my kimono."

Shikamaru clicked the remote and scoffed, "I told her that it's useless to wait for Matsuri. If Matsuri doesn't know what calligraphy is, how would she know how to put on a traditional Japanese outfit?"

"Well, she always wears them when we attend Hatsumode." Temari answered. "Kakashi-san, are you really not going to stay for the New Year?"

Kakashi pressed his lips together, "Yep. I made my decision. I've got a lot of stuff heading my way." He started heading toward the door, "I've got some errands to do like always, so...see you."

"It's always errands. What are you really doing?" Shikamaru asked as he stood up to lock the door. He smirked, "Meeting a girl, eh?"

Kakashi laughed, "Oh, it's a girl alright." He walked out and painfully whispered, "It's a girl..."

Shikamaru closed the door in shocked, "My brother! Has a girl?!"

"What's wrong with that?" Temari asked. She sat down and placed Natsu on the corner to sit. She gave him a toy to play with and looked back at Shikamaru, "Is it weird to have your brother date a girl?"

"No." Shikamaru answered. "It's weird because he _has_ a girl." Temari gave him a glare that he shouldn't be saying that, but he continued to explain his reason. "No, no, no. Not in a mean way. From as long as I remember, he was never the type who'd be a magnet for girls!"

"Unfortunately, you are." Temari added. Shikamaru raised a brow to ask her to stop adding in sarcastically comments. "What? I'm saying the truth. You are a magnet."

Shikamaru paused with his current expression and then immediately smiled, "Yeah, I know." Temari slapped him gently on the elbow for his conceited comment. "Anyway, it's just impossible that he'd have a girl for-" Shikamaru grinned and waved his index finger back and forth with the expression of 'I-found-something.' "My brother's bluffing! He wants to make it looked like he has a girl when he really doesn't."

Temari rolled her eyes and picked Natsu up. She teased him, "Yes, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel any better."

"Why would I need to do that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Cause your brother has a girlfriend and _you_ don't." Temari smirked.

Shikamaru scoffed, "That's cause I have a wife." Once again, the uncomfortable spoken word brought back the tension. Shikamaru and Temari stopped in their tracks. The room became silent again for a while until Natsu started mumbling while he sucked on his hand. Shikamaru decided to use that as their new subject, "Whoa, Natsu must be hungry. You should go upstairs and feed him." He turned back to the TV to avoid any eye contact, "I'll stay down here to open the door when Matsuri and everyone else get here."

"O...okay." Temari said and headed up the stairs without looking back. _Doesn't he want a girlfriend?_

_Baka! I'm such a baka! Matsuri already told me that she's having a problem with the word marriage, so anything related to marriage shouldn't even be used! _Having this thought, Shikamaru was brought to another. _If she was having a problem with being married...why would she accept to signing a family register? _Seconds after his thought hadn't been processed, his phone vibrated and he picked it up to read the text.

**To: ShikamaruNara **

**From: Nieces **

**Subject: Hatsumode**

**Konbanwa. I hope you still remember me. I was hesitating about whether or not I should write this email, but…it won over me. I know asking you for a favor when we never met is rude, but…I'd like…**

* * *

"He is so adorable!" Matsuri jumped ecstatically. She, Gaara and Naruto have arrived at the virtual Nara house. "Where's Temari?"

"Here," Temari came downstairs with a white tank top and blue shorts.

Matsuri gasped, "Temari, why aren't you dressed?"

"I was hoping you'd help me."

Matsuri's eyes widen, "Gomen...I don't know how."

Temari rushed over, "But-! Look at you! You're dressed in a kimono!"

Naruto sighed in pity for Temari, "Temari, she has someone to do everything for her."

Matsuri pouted, "I do not."

"Oh, yes you do."

Matsuri gave in. She knew she couldn't lie. She had to always at least be honest. That was her motto. "Fine. Twenty percent of the time."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, so that means the other eighty is someone else's work."

Temari exhaled and had on a sad expression. "I guess I won't be wearing a kimono this year."

"Why didn't you ask Shikamaru?" Gaara said. "He knows how to put on a kimono."

Naruto nodded excitedly, "Yeah, yeah! He does!"

The girls immediately turned their attention to Shikamaru who turned his attention to the TV. At the same time, the girls asked, "You know how to put on a kimono?!" Shikamaru continued to ignore them. "Shikamaru!"

Giving in, he painfully and embarrassingly admitted, "Hai, I do know." The girls cover the mouths, looked at one another, and on cue, they laughed about the new secret of Shikamaru. Shikamaru was usually an open-book person, but this new side of Shikamaru was closed until now. "If you keep laughing, I'm not going to help."

"If you're not going to help, I'm going to tell." Temari threatened back.

"If you're going to tell, let me help." Shikamaru accepted defeat. Temari rushed upstairs in excitement and Shikamaru slowly followed. He looked back with a pained expression, "Why are we friends with girls who are controlling?"

Naruto scoffed, "We do not have girls who-" his comment stopped when he and Matsuri locked eyes. "Yeah, we do."

Matsuri smacked him in the head. "Zip it or lose it."

Naruto whined to Gaara, "Oi, your girlfriend!

"Exactly." Gaara confusingly said to an abused Naruto. _Naruto, get a girlfriend soon so you'll know what to say and not to say._

* * *

"Okay," I've laid the different parts of the kimono on the bed. Which are we going to start off first?" Temari asked. An awkward Shikamaru entered Temari's room. Temari let out a laugh, "What's wrong? You've seen my room before."

"Not that." Shikamaru said. "Do you not know that this shouldn't be done?"

"But, I want to wear a kimono to match Natsu."

"I know, but..." Shikamaru trailed off on his sentence.

"...But...?" Temari repeated. "Come on, or the later it'll get." Temari gasped when her train of thought went off track, "Did I do laundry for school yet?"

"Fine, I'm not going to say it." He clapped his hands, "Let's get this over with."

Temari put up a hand to stop him, "Wait. Say what?" She raised a brow and crossed her hands on her chest, "If you are just going to mess up the outfit and make me look weird, I rather not have you dress me up."

"I'm not. I won't. Why would I?"

"Because you're Shikamaru, hello."

Shikamaru smiled and Temari was taken aback, "True. I'd love to see you have a fashion mishap, but, if you two matched, it'd be the cutest thing ever." With a softer voice, he ended it with, "Really."

"Arigatou." Temari bashfully said.

"So, got the juban?" Shikamaru asked. Temari nodded and touched her juban, "I've got all the undergarments, but I just need help with the outerwear. And, the obi."

"Oh, then why did you need my help?"

Temari blinked as she realized this. "That's right." She finally remembered why, "Actually...I think it's just that I needed someone to confirm if I wore it correct. Ne, can you still help me?"

"Fine." He turned back around, "I'll face this way until you need help with something."

"Okay," Temari casually answered.

_Okay? Okay?! How is this okay? _Shikamaru wanted to bolt out the door so badly. _You are a girl! How can you let a guy dress you up?!_

* * *

Matsuri jolted up, "Oh, my, goodness!" She gave Natsu to Naruto, "Why didn't I think of this?!"

"What?" Gaara asked his girlfriend, "What's wrong?"

"Why did it never occurred to me that they're both different genders?!" Matsuri started heading towards the stair case.

Gaara stopped her, "Wait, why are you going in?"

"Shin-chan, did you not hear what I just said? They are both different genders? Boy and girl."

Naruto stood up with Natsu, "Matsuri, you're thinking too much. Even if Shikamaru has a thing for girls, he's _never_ seen Temari as a girl."

Gaara nodded, "And, the same applies to Temari. I'm sure she's never seen Shikamaru as boy, too. We've been with them for years already. I'm sure it's clear that they won't ever end up together."

"How can you be so sure?" Matsuri asked in panic. "Shikamaru is still a guy after all. Guys don't need to like someone to-to...to do anything!"

Gaara took Matsuri back away from the stair case, "You know Shikamaru's not like that. I think you're just worrying too much about Temari."

"Well, of course! She's never had a first love!" She covered her mouth. _Great, my big mouth again._

Naruto laughed, "What?! We're in our second year of high school and she's never had a boyfriend?!" He stopped to think if it was true. "It _is_ true! Oh...I guess babysitting took that part away from her." He started to feel bad for Temari who had never gotten a chance to experience the wildness of romance. He sat down with Natsu on his lap and criss crossed his legs, "Don't worry. Just like Gaara had said, I'm sure these two friends will only stay friends." Naruto made a silly face to Natsu, "Even if they do happen to like each other, I think they'd choose this relationship over a romantic one."

Matsuri wasn't convinced; in fact, the thought of the two friends of hers going out was something she didn't quite see as a good thing. _Really?_

* * *

"Shikamaru," Temari said. She was asking for help.

Shikamaru shyly turned around. When he did, Temari's back was facing him. She was busy trying to measure the obi around her waist. She was astoundingly beautiful in front of him, even though it was just her back that he was looking at. The dual collar made her neck length longer and although it wasn't even making Temari looked like she had curves, it made her appeared more feminine. He wished she wouldn't have to turn back, and it wasn't because he was going to have perverted thoughts, but because he just couldn't imagine how beautiful Temari would look if she had turn.

Temari did turn around and bumped into his chest and he held onto her by placing his hands on the side of her waist. "Ow, why didn't you say anything?" She rubbed her nose. "Okay, you can help me with my obi, but don't tie it too tight." When she looked up at Shikamaru, his eyes were on hers. She became uncomfortable. She touched a side of her cheek, "Is there something on my face?"

A silent whisper came from Shikamaru. "No."

"Are you lying to me?"

Another silent whisper. "No."

Temari became irritated at how stupid he looked just standing in front of her and not doing anything to help. "Well, are you being stupid right now?"

"No." Shikamaru did the unexpected. He slowly crept a hand up to the side of her cheek and with his fingers, he brushed the hair strands that were lining her face and then placed his hand gently behind her neck. His other hand was still placed around Temari's waist and he slowly moved her waist over to tap his, locking them two together. With this, Temari lost her balance and almost dived straight back into his chest once again had she not put a hand on his chest as a reflex.

"What's wrong with you?" Temari asked. "Are you okay?" She put a hand over his forehead for a temperature analysis.

Shikamaru took her hand and held onto it. With a gentle smile, he whispered in a low but seductive voice, "You're gorgeous."

Temari couldn't help but respond honestly. She had a feeling this wasn't his usual teasing compliments. Nervous at the current situation, she blinked so much and stuttered to find an excuse, "S-save your flirtatious pick-up lines for the other girls." She backed away and tugged at her obi, "Help me with this. You promised." She turned around again, this time, wanting to avoid looking at Shikamaru up front.

_Other girls?_ Shikamaru looked at Temari's body up and down again. He blushed when he realized something he wished he hadn't. _Temari is a girl!_ He looked down at her waist. _I can't believe I touched that! No- I held onto that?!_ He scrunched up his face. _Ew! I- I used my moves on Temari!_

"Shikamaru." Temari said. She purposely sounded irritated to hurry up the situation to minimize the blushing she was hiding from him.

Shikamaru smiled. _It's okay. Think of this...as the husband role. Let's play it that way._

Temari silently gasped when she felt one of Shikamaru's hands at her hips and another hand clasped on a hand of hers. "What- what are you doing?"

Shikamaru leaned in near her ear and teasingly whispered, "I'm going to teach you how to do it."

_No, not this way!_ Temari flinched, "No...um, everyone is waiting, so let's just -" As she rustled with him, she accidently stepped on her own kimono and they both fell onto the bed. Lying side by side made them locked eyes with one another. Everything was quiet. They only saw the other person through the reflection of each other's eyes. Seconds later, they heard Natsu starting to cry, so they rushed to stood back up.

Turned away, Shikamaru said, "I think we should have Matsuri help you."

Temari bashfully touched her cheeks, "Yeah, we should." She turned around right before Shikamaru left, "Thanks."

Shikamaru smiled and gave her a wink.

* * *

"Wait, we have to go our separate ways." Shikamaru said. The gang was already heading to the big shrine that was a few blocks away for the Hatsumode event. "Natsu, Temari and I will go this way. We'll meet up with you guys later."

"Why?" Matsuri asked. "I want us to go together."

Temari secured Natsu's beanie, "Yeah, what's up with us going separate ways?"

Shikamaru hesitated. He hadn't thought this far. He had visualized that no one would asked and he'd would get to accomplish what he wanted to do. "L-let's just meet up later." He started rushing Temari to the opposite direction. "See ya!"

* * *

_That Shikamaru! Where is he? Doesn't he know how cold it is right now for Natsu?!_ Temari was left to sit all alone on a bench after being blocks away from the temple. Shikamaru told her that he had forgotten his wallet and needed to return back home to retrieve it. When Temari suggested that they all go together, Shikamaru made a fuss about it so she finally gave in.

"Natsu...are you cold?" Temari asked Natsu whose face was pale as snow and cold as ice. "When Ryo-"

"Temari..."

Temari stopped talking. She had not heard this voice for a while but was still able to recognize who it belonged to. And, it belonged to someone she didn't want to meet ever again.

The cute little voice said her name again, "Temari..."

Temari was too terrified to turn her head towards the direction of the angelic voice. Just when she gulped, a crying little girl wrapped her arms around Temari and painfully sobbed into her clothes. "Temari! I miss you! I miss you!" Other hands came and wrapped their arms around Temari as she sat frozen in her seat.

The tallest and oldest of the group came forward and sat next to Temari, "Temari, he's so cute! May I hold him?" Temari nodded and gave Natsu to the teenage girl.

Taking this chance, the youngest of them all tapped Temari's laps. "Baby! Baby!" This little girl loved babies so much that she didn't even realized she was still one, too, well at least, in Temari's heart.

Temari picked the little girl up. She was wearing a velvet kimono with a decorative hair comb placed to the side of her two small buns. Temari sincerely smiled, "Hana [OC]."

The second oldest, Nana [OC], started fighting over Natsu with her older sister, Nina [OC]. "Give me him! I want to hold him, too! Babies don't like you!"

Nina pushed Nana away, "Stop! I got him first! Look- he's going to cry."

Nina shoved Nana, "He's crying because you don't know how to watch him! Hurry!"

Temari began to feel uncomfortable at this familiar setting. It reminded her of the tragic summers she had spent at Mariko's house babysitting the girls. It became worst and worst when a new girl was born a year after another. It was always the same- **Nana and Nina arguing over trivial things, never coming into a conclusion. Nana was always hitting Nina and abusing the younger girls. She claimed it as 'hard love'. Nana, although being the oldest and just two years younger than Temari, she was always the one who caused trouble. She loved to make the kids wake up from their nap after Temari had put them to sleep. She loved to change her menu, always switching back and forth from wanting to eat ramen, to omelette, to steaks. It was always because of Nana that babysitting was a bit more complicated than Temari had thought. Nevertheless, Temari never once hated Nana or blame Nana. She saw it as a positive thing, something that made her mind think of something else and not worried about the miseries of being a virtual mother to a bunch of kids that weren't hers.**

Temari set Hana down and took Natsu back. "What are you guys doing here?" She knew that the shrine she was attending with her friends and new family wasn't the same shrine that the group of girls was attending. "Where are your parents?"

"No one knows we're seeing you." Nina said. She stood up, picked up Hana, and put Hana on the bench. "We all just wanted to see you."

Temari perked up, "All?" She turned her head around when she heard rustlings in the bushes. Her eyes widen when she saw the group of kids she had left behind.

The other fifteen kids.

* * *

"You jerk!" Gaara covered Matsuri's mouth as she hissed at Shikamaru. In the park across near where Temari and the girls were at, Shikamaru hid behind the small stairs, Matsuri hid with Gaara inside a slide, and Naruto was the only one who was riding the swing set like a seven-year old. Matsuri removed her boyfriend's hand from her mouth and exclaimed in a silent whisper, "Why did you allow them to see each other?!"

Shikamaru signaled Matsuri to hush, "Later, Matsuri."

Matsuri became pissed, "Oh, yeah, like there will be a later. You will either spill everything, or I'll spill your guts!"

Naruto shouted, "Oi, why so mad? We're at a park. Be more-"

"NARUTO! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Everyone yelled at him and then duck for cover. Naruto hopped off from the swing and almost bashed his skull onto the ground.

Matsuri walked out of the slide and her boyfriend clumsily followed, "Look, you better tell me how you got their contact and why you're doing this. She's going to get hurt, don't you know?"

Shikamaru stood up, "No. If this doesn't happen, she _will_ be hurt forever."

* * *

Nana burst into tears. She looked down, wanting to avoid Temari's gaze. Nana was the first to speak. As she spoke, her older sister kept patting her head, "Temari! I miss you! We want you back, but-!" She started to bawled so loud that her words were unable to make out of. Everyone waited for Nana to calm down. When she did, she repeated everything she had said, "Temari, gomen ne for everything. I really want you back with Natsu, too. We always wanted you to sleep over because you're fun, cool, and...you were like our mom."

**That was the word Temari feared the most during her babysitting times. **

**Mother. **

Temari stopped smiling and she sensed her mouth being frozen not because of the cold, but because of the word. It all started when Mariko and her husband went on their tenth anniversary trip that lasted for a week _during her school week_. It was so hectic. Temari had to stay at Mariko's house for the entire week, doing all the chores the only grownup should do around the house. She even had to wake up an hour earlier and come back on time to pick up the kids from daycare and from school.

One day, when she was busily giving Anna [OC] a bath, Nana came in and accidently said, "Mommy, Nina's bothering me again!" Temari froze because she thought she had misheard Nana calling her something she wished Nana hadn't. Nana covered her giggle, "Oops, I called you Mommy."

That didn't stop right there. Anna laughed along and pointed her wet fingers at Temari, "Yeah, Mommy."

Nana came over and sat on the lid of the toilet seat cover, "I see you as our Mommy whenever you come over. I also miss you when you leave, too." She came to squat down beside Anna and Temari, "I wish you were our real mommy."

"Hey, Temari," said Yuma who brought Temari back to reality. Yuma [OC] was the oldest son from Temari's second oldest brother, Kankuro. "Is that your baby? Yosh! You got a boy!" **Yuma was the only cocky and wanna-be cool kid she had ever had to watch. He was the boy who led the pack of kids whenever they wanted to make Temari do something. He was the boys' leader because he was the oldest.**

**His younger sister, Tomu [OC] was quite similar in having the same personality as him. They were both cocky, but Yuma was more mature and more thoughtful while Tomu had the nastiest mouth ever. Both siblings loved putting down people and making fun of the younger kids. Temari feared and dread staying alone with Tomu because Tomu would usually just smack talk to her or smack talk about her, both Temari didn't like at all. Thankfully, Temari hardly watched Yuma and his younger siblings.**

"He's cute." Tomu complimented.

Temari was taken aback. She had expected more of a backlash from Tomu rather than a compliment. She stuttered, "A-arigatou." This time, all twenty kids circled around her and started picking on one another to see who can hold Natsu next. "Matte." Temari said. All the kids didn't hear her. "Matte." She repeated again. Once again, no response. She sighed and smiled. She kind of missed this hectic trivial fight between her nieces and nephews. Just then, a gentle tap from a whimpering eight-year old at her side almost stopped her heart.

"Temari, we're not your kids no more?" The moment he asked this, the bickering between the kids stopped. Temari realized it was the question the kids wanted to ask but feared to know. His tears dripped more and his voice became hoarse. He hugged Temari's arm, "You...love...him...now...?" His touching scene made the rest of the kids started to tear up. Even the kids who were the toughest cried, too.

Temari exhaled. She brought the eight-year old closer and hugged him tightly. He whimpered even louder, trying to hold onto his loud cry that he wanted to let out. "I still love you kids. I love you all very, very much." She looked at everyone individually, "I will always love you kids no matter what."

"Then, can you come back?" Yuma asked. He was asking for the rest of his pack. "You can bring Natsu with you, too. We'll take good care of him!"

Temari laughed. She knew her kids would take good care of Natsu. As she looked off into the horizon, she saw her group of friends hiding in different areas of the small park. _They knew about this? Shikamaru! T_he thought and sight of Shikamaru brought the memories of her new virtual marriage life with Natsu and Shikamaru together. She felt a warm feeling. Natsu's sneeze brought her back to reality and helped made her choice, a choice she had made from day one. "Wait a moment, k." She gave Natsu to Nina, "Hold him for a bit. I've got to do something." She walked out of the group and stopped at the sidewalk. With all her might, she shouted, "SHIKAMARU! COME OVER HERE!"

Shikamaru flinched. He whispered to his friends in fear, "She called for me?"

Matsuri gasped, "She saw us?" Everyone glared at Naruto. "It's your fault! She wouldn't had known it's us if you weren't on the swing!"

Naruto frowned, "But, it's the park. The swing is a must!"

"SSH!" His friends hushed him.

Gaara looked at Shikamaru with pity, "Well, you better go, or we'll get in trouble."

"What? By myself?" Shikamaru became nervous. "Hold on, you guys followed, so you guys are on it, too!"

"You planned this. If you're going to drag anyone down, drag Naruto." Matsuri said. She shoved Shikamaru, "Go."

Shikamaru stood up and smiled and waved to Temari and her group. He walked slowly to them but hasten his speed when he saw her menacing smile. "Yes, Temari?"

"Who's he?" Yuma asked, getting all confrontational. He gently pulled Temari behind him, "I've never seen him before." Although Yuma could be suck a cocky jerk at times, when it came to family, he was loving and caring.

Temari smiled. It was also times like this that she felt loved and protected. "Yuma, it's okay. He's a friend. His name is Shikamaru."

Nina and Misaki [OC] gasped. Misaki was the second oldest niece from Temari's oldest brother, Shingo [OC]. **Nina and Misaki were the same age but have totally different personalities. They were both outgoing and boy-crazy, having almost the same amount of boy-problems that for some unknown reason, they always ask Temari about. The difference was that Misaki was more blunt and open about how she really felt. They were the two kids Temari grew up with because they were only two years apart. Temari saw them as the two little twin sisters she didn't had and they saw her as the older sister they didn't had. With Temari around, they were able to act as little girls instead of the big girl since they were the oldest in their family.**

Misaki came forward and pointed at Shikamaru, "You are the boy? You knocked up Temari?"

Temari and Shikamaru backed away when the kids started to march forward a bit. Shikamaru lightly grabbed onto Temari's arm but pulled away when he saw the millions of eyes glaring at him, waiting for a special moment to tear him into pieces.

Shikamaru whispered through his clenched teeth, "Oi, do something!"

Temari put out a hand and laughed, "Kids, kids. No." She pointed back and forth between herself and Shikamaru, "He and I? No way." The kids stopped and listened. "He is just a great friend of mine. He's the one who's helping me with Natsu."

Nina came forward, "Oh, he's the one who's been responding to my emails?"

Shikamaru laughed nervously. Temari slowly turned around with a glare. "Oh...really? Is that so?" She turned and slowly walked towards Shikamaru, "You responded...to her emails?" She acted as if she was thinking to herself, "Since when did you get Nina's contact?" She mouthed, "You are so dead, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru clapped awkwardly, "Okay, let's forget about that." He turned Temari around, "Let's just get on with this secret meeting before your parents find out."

Temari hissed, "So, you _did_ planned this!_" _Temari pinched him on his side, "That's what you get." Clearing her throat, she finally said, "Kids...I'm not coming back." Before the kids could make a scene, she immediately added, "Natsu needs me. And, I need him, too. Please understand." She walked over and took Natsu back, "He's...my son, now. And..." She hesitated to say the next words, "...I'm his mother. I can't leave him."

"Take him with you!" Sho [OC] said. He was the oldest of his brothers, but the younger brother of Misaki. "Please?!"

Temari gave Natsu to Shikamaru and then headed back to stand in between where Misaki and Nina were standing. She wrapped her arms around the girls, "I love you all very much. And that will never change. Ever." She tightly hugged her grownup kids and then gave a light pat to each of the individual smaller kids, "There will be a day where I can't stay with you forever, and that day..." She pinched Nana's rosy cheeks, "...is today." After she finished giving everyone a pat, she grabbed her two oldest nieces' hands and squeezed them hard, "I love you all. Remember that."

* * *

"Hey..." Matsuri said. She, Gaara and Naruto walked over right after the group of kids left. Temari and Shikamaru were sitting down on the bench, with Shikamaru holding onto Natsu. Temari wouldn't let the kids stay any longer and they all knew why. If they dawdled any longer, lingering feelings from the memories of having one another will surface and it would be hard for a closure between her and her kids. Matsuri gently placed Temari's head onto her chest and patted her back to soothe her. "You'll be fine."

Temari smiled, "I know I will." _But, they won't._ Temari had told them that they could never ever see each other again. If they do happen to cross by each other on the street, they were to act as if they never knew each other. Temari explained that it was the for the best. She moved away from Matsuri and picked up Natsu. Giving it to Matsuri, she asked, "Ne, can you take him for a while? I want to speak with Shikamaru alone." Shikamaru jumped up and shook his head ferociously.

Matsuri snickered, "Sure. I'd love to." When Temari turned around, Matsuri mouthed to Shikamaru, "You're in trouble now."

Gaara smiled and showed his crossed fingers to tell Shikamaru that he wished Shikamaru good luck. Naruto purposely covered his mouth to make the scene more dramatic than it seemed.

"-wait!" Shikamaru wanted to shriek but Temari stood up, blocking his path. He looked down, the only action he knew he should do now to lessen the unknown punishment. Looking down, for a quick second, he saw Temari moved her leg forward. The next scene was unforeseen.

A tight hug.

Shikamaru didn't know whether this was some kind of joke Temari had thought of to punish him or if this was a moment he had to be sincere about. He decided to gently placed his hands over her tiny back and patted her. He wasn't good at dealing with crying people, especially crying girls, and especially crying girls who were his friends. He usually left the girls right before they cried just so he wouldn't have to feel guilty about whatever he had done that made the girl believed he was guilty of.

But, he knew he couldn't do it to Temari. He just couldn't. And, he wouldn't.

As he held her out in the cold, her shivering body wasn't because she was cold. It was because she was crying onto his chest. She didn't want to let anyone see.

"It's your fault, so...lend me it for a while." Temari said. She wiped her constant falling tears.

"I'll lend it whenever for whatever." Shikamaru said as he rocked her gently.

Seconds later, Temari finally calmed down. Before pulling away, she quietly said, "Arigatou."

Shikamaru looked down at the shy and embarrassed Temari who had cried for almost ten minutes. Her baby hair was all over the place, her make up had begun to smear, and her face was as red as a peach. He laughed as he fixed her, putting the strands in its place, wiping a few make up mishaps, and taking off his haori to put on her to wear so she wouldn't be cold. "Come on, now. Let's not go back to Natsu with an ugly face like this." He joked.

Temari glared up at him for making joke at a time like this. She slapped him hard on the chest and covered her face in embarrassment. "It's your fault that I'm ugly right now." She turned around and fixed herself. _Why am I friends with a guy like this?_

Shikamaru put a hand over her shoulders and pulled her close. Looking at each other, they were just centimeters away. The tip of their nose slightly touched. They ignored the invisible sparks that were flying around them. He started dragging Temari over, "Shall we attend Hatsumode now...Just and only as the Nara family?"

Temari pursed her lips together and formed a sly smile. Nodding, she said, "Yeah. Just as the Nara family."

* * *

Whoosh! So many OC's in here! Sorry for all the confusion. XD

Date this chapter was published: February 14, 2014 [FRI] 11:07 PM

Date next chapter will be published: March 1, 2014 [SAT]

Thank you for reading/commenting/following!

This chapter is to make up for tomorrow since I can't update. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

The gang's final term was going to begin because school resumed tomorrow, a Monday. Being the last term of the year, that meant exams were just right around the corner and the gang becoming third-year students were in less than six months.

Shikamaru rushed downstairs with a blanket as he wrestled to get his jacket on. He stopped when he saw Temari sleeping and cuddling onto a small tiny blanket that only covered her upper body while Natsu happily played inside his closed nursery center. Shikamaru looked at his cell phone and saw the time- 6:18 A.M. He needed to be at school for baseball training before six-thirty or else Coach Asuma would rip his head off. He looked at the kitchen and saw a neatly packed bento box wrapped in a white and blue cloth. It was expected. It had been like this for days. Temari would wake up before Shikamaru to make a breakfast bento for his training for the day.

He went over to put the bento box in his sports bag and walked silently over to Temari. As he passed Natsu, Natsu made a happy shriek and he put a finger to his mouth to tell Natsu to be quiet so they won't wake up Temari. He put his sports bag down and placed the blanket he was holding over Temari. He tucked it in her and she quickly rolled into a tighter ball. He laughed to himself at the sight of her.

He decided to sit beside her. I still have a few minutes. He moved a few strands away from her face. Her cheeks were cold, and it told him that she was making breakfast earlier than the other days. With a smile, he leaned in and whispered, "Arigatou."

Feeling something ticklish near her cheek, Temari abruptly woke up and bumped into Shikamaru; however, they froze in their respective spots because something unexpected bumped and locked into each other.

Their lips.

Neither one of them moved.

Their eyes were opened in shock, but no one dared to do the first move.

Thanks to Natsu's cute laugh from out of nowhere, Shikamaru and Temari pulled apart. As he stood up, he slipped on the blanket that he had given to Temari and fell down once again. For balance, he spread his arms apart and placed it around Temari. In fear, Temari reflexively covered herself. When she removed her hands, she saw two beautiful eyes of Shikamaru looking straight back at her. She didn't dare look below the eyes.

She turned away, "Aren't you suppose to be leaving now?"

"Mhmm." He said without looking away or moving away. He just kept looking at her.

"Well, get going."

"Mhmm."

An irritated Temari glared back because his answers were so vague. As she tried to stand up, she made Shikamaru lose his balance and his mouth landed on hers again. Because of the force from the fall, their lips smudged against one another and left a deeper touch instead of the light brush from before's kiss. The sudden pain and shock made Temari pushed Shikamaru off of her and he fell to the ground.

Crawling back up, he touched his painful back, "What did you do that for?"

Temari put the blanket over her chest, "You know what that was for." She scoffed.

Shikamaru pulled himself up to sit next to Temari.

She wanted to shove him away, but knowing that his body was important for the baseball season, she managed to control herself. "Gomen ne. It was a bit hard, huh?" She helped massaged his back.

"No, it was more than a bit!" He pouted at her, "You have hands of a man!" This comment of his made Temari angrily slapped his back. "Itai!"

Temari stood up and walked over to pick Natsu up, "Sorry, I have hands of a man." With Natsu, she picked up Shikamaru's sports bag and handed to Shikamaru, "Here. You better start leaving or you'll be late."

"I probably won't get to play today because my ribs are broken by some man who lives with me." Shikamaru teased as he pretended to walk with a broken back. Temari gently pushed him forward for his continuous tease. He turned around at the door, "Okay, don't open the door to anyone, you hear. And, you can't come and visit, too. I'll call when I'm nearby." He looked at Natsu, "Be good, little one."

Temari pouted, "Why can't we come and see? You'd always let."

"That's before I got this new bat." He flashed a smile, "I want you to see me use it at the actual game, not at some practice."

"Fine." Temari rolled her eyes. She didn't get what was the difference about Shikamaru using it at a game or at practice. She only bought it for him to use it for anytime he was going to play baseball. Since it was his now, she couldn't say anything. Temari held onto Natsu's small wrist and waved to Shikamaru. Making a baby voice, she said, "Bye Bye!"

* * *

"Where's everyone at?" Shikamaru asked. He had just gotten out from putting the baseball equipments away. The three hour practice was over. He was sweating and hot. He wanted to go home and dip himself in a cool bath, eat, and then sleep. _Nah, I should play a few games first._

Coach Asuma placed a hand over Shikamaru's shoulders, "Your special fan came to see you."

Shikamaru's eyes lit up, "Special fan?!" He rushed out to where the field was and searched. There was no one. Well, in particular, he was hoping his special fan would be a beautiful and sexy girl.

"Oh my!" A familiar voice gasped behind him. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He drooped down. The person behind him spoke in a sweet girl's voice, "Are you, perhaps, Yamada-kun?"

Shikamaru turned around with a sigh, "What are you doing here, Temari?" He walked over to her and didn't see Natsu. "I thought I told you to not come here. And, where's Natsu?"

"You told me to not come here to see you practice, but practice is over. So, I didn't see anything. Don't worry, Natsu's at the daycare." She walked to him, "I'm not a bad luck charm."

Shikamaru laughed, "Yeah, you are. Last time's game, you brought honey lemon slices to feed us and we all had a tummy ache and lost."

Temari became angry, "Hey, it's your fault you kept on gobbling it. It was just too good, wasn't it?"

"It was poisonous, that's what it was." He cheekily smiled. He didn't want to waste his energy playing bickering with Temari because he wanted to go home as soon as possible. He put his weight on her and she almost fell, "Carry me home."

Temari tried to shove him away, "Baka, you're heavy! Get off!"

"Hey, what's up with this love? Mind sharing some?"

Shikamaru and Temari looked. It was Coach Asuma. They knew him since sixth grade, and he somehow followed them through the years. He loved teasing couples, especially them. They've told him countless times that they weren't a couple, but he never listened. He even tried hooking the two up. His reason- they were a match made in heaven.

"Mi-chan! I haven't seen you in a while!"

"We're not a couple." Temari and Shikamaru said as they pulled apart.

Coach Asuma pretentiously coy away, "As always, you two are in sync." He sighed, "Just date already. Everyone knows you two are a couple."

"EVERYONE?!" Temari and Shikamaru gasped.

Coach Asuma let out a laugh, "No, not everyone, but the entire team member knows your guys' relationship."

"He and I will never have a relationship." Temari confidently said. "It's just not possible."

Shikamaru scoffed, "Exactly. She's just another guy friend I see."

Temari pointed to Shikamaru, "And he's just another gi- er...dummy I see."

"Hey, I called you a guy!"

"And I called you a dummy- what's wrong with that?"

Shikamaru pinched Temari's cheeks, "A dummy's worse than getting called a girl! At least you would've implied that I have some boobs!" He started groping the air and Temari became disgusted so she looked away.

Coach Asuma looked at his watch, "Snap! I can't be late for this breakfast!"

"Breakfast?" Temari asked.

"But, you're not even a breakfast person." Shikamaru said.

"Not for me. It's my fourth year anniversary with my girlfriend. Last two years, I was late. She was furious."

"Girls," Shikamaru said, "They're such-"

"-romantics?" Temari said.

"No." Shikamaru said without hesitation. "I was going to say that girls are such a hassle. That's why I don't date. I fling."

Temari wanted to smack him for saying that, but she resisted because Coach Asuma was there. She smiled to Coach Asuma, "It's sweet of you to remember and try to fit it in your schedule."

Asuma-san smiled back, "Actually, I don't go for the food, or for the celebration. I go because she's there." He pointed to Temari and Shikamaru, "You two might  
think you're not meant for each other, but trust me, when one of you is far from one another for a long time, you'll start missing each other's existence." He walked away and shouted, "Keep that in mind!"

After Coach Asuma's shadow was gone, Temari and Shikamaru slowly turned to face one another and gave each other a long look. "Nah, it's not happening." They shrugged it off and walked home, bickering with each other to forget the words Asuma-san had said.

* * *

"Ohayou," Matsuri and Temari greeted each other in the hallway. The group slowly gathered. The only person missing was Naruto. It was Monday, the first day of the last semester for the gang as second year students. This meant that they only had a year left before graduation.

Temari realized Matsuri's greeting was depressing, so she asked, "What's wrong, Matsuri?"

"My father." Matsuri silently whined, "Because he wanted to make sure I'll be able to participate, the wedding's been moved up to beginning of March."

"What do you mean it's so you can participate?" Temari asked.

"Aren't you going to have to participate regardless?" Shikamaru added. He got all excited, "Hey, are we invited?"

Matsuri growled at Shikamaru for the last comment she believed was stupid, "He was planning to wed that gold digger next year when I graduate, but they decided to wed this year because they're too in love." She made a disgusted face and then sighed, "And, yes. You guys will have to go to keep me sane!"

The group entered their class room and headed over to where Temari's and Matsuri's seats were.

Temari put her bag down, "Matsuri, I thought you were against their marriage?"

"I am. I figured that if I can't break them apart when they're dating, I can still try to break them apart when they're married." Matsuri shrugged, "What's so hard about that?"

Shikamaru looked over to Gaara and whispered, "What made her so attractive? She's so evil."

Hearing this, Matsuri nudged him. "Anyway, I'm sure she'd give in and admit that she's only after my father's life insurance money. She can't possibly love an old man who is twenty plus years older than her."

Temari sighed, "I think she really does love your father." Her friends gave her an astonished look. "I've seen her and him together on their dates a couple of times, and she always takes good care of him."

"Well, yeah, she has to." Matsuri sarcastically said. "Or else she'd get it from me!"

"Not that. Don't you know people talk about her? Mean talk, not envious talk." Temari said. "She doesn't flaunt the love she receives from your father and she doesn't stand up for herself when they trash talk about her. But, when she hears people degrade your father, she speaks up about it."

Matsuri rolled her eyes, "It's all for show."

Shikamaru jumped in, "No, I don't think so. We saw your father left his girlfriend at this store to do something, and while she was in there, she was given dirty looks. We thought maybe we were just seeing things, but when one of the employees started trash-talking about your father being a pedophile or something, she got up, slapped the employee and left."

"Whoa..." Gaara quietly said.

"It was awesome," Shikamaru added. He received a slap on the head by Temari for his unnecessary comment.

Matsuri looked away, "I still don't believe it. She's a total loser, two-face and now she's gotten you guys to take her side."

"Matsuri, it's not like that." Temari said. "I just want you to understand her."

"But, there really isn't anything to understand."

Temari and Shikamaru sighed. They knew that once Matsuri had decided on something, it was for sure.

"No matter what, I'm going to wreck their marriage."

The classroom door slid open and Naruto happily popped in. He checked his wrist watch, "Made it on time."

"Hey," Everyone said, greeting him. Naruto high-fived his friends.

"Guess what?!" Naruto asked with a wide smile. "Guess who's going to be getting a girlfriend this year?!"

Shikamaru pointed to Temari, "This boy." Temari raised a hand to hit him but he dodged it. "What, you ain't a girl, so that makes you and Naruto the only single boys in our circle."

Temari sneered at him, "Why, thank you. As if you're not a boy, yourself?"

Shikamaru did a sideway 'L' with his index finger and thumb, and put it under his chin, "No. I'm considered a man...and I belong to every girl." Temari rolled her eyes at his playful conceitedness.

"No, seriously," Naruto began again, "I'll be getting a girlfriend this year!"

"Why? How?" Gaara questioned. "Who is she?"

Naruto sat on top of a desk beside Gaara and took out his cell phone, "Remember this girl?" He showed the picture he once showed to his friends on the school rooftop when they were eating lunch, "I found out that on this week, she'll be given a tour around our school!'

"Oh, she's a third-year middle school student? Is that why she's on the 'School Tour Fieldtrip?" Temari asked.

The 'School Tour Fieldtrip' was a yearly fieldtrip that happened in each city. It allowed third-year students, whether in High School or in Middle School, to visit their new school before making an official choice. It usually took place a few months before the last term's final exam.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, she's a cute one, isn't she?"

"How did you get the information?" Shikamaru asked. He took the cell phone and looked at the picture, "Hey didn't you say that you didn't get to see her face?"

Naruto frowned, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to recognize her."

"You saw her from the back." Matsuri and Temari said, in sync.

Naruto clicked his tongue multiple times, "See, this is the difference between a guy and a girl. We," he pointed to himself, Shikamaru, and Gaara, "...don't look at the face. We look at other beautiful features and characteristics. You girls look at the face first. That's why you guys get crappy-lookin' guys."

Matsuri smacked Naruto's mouth, "Hey, Gaara's not crappy."

Naruto sighed, "You know what I mean. Anyway, from now on, the only single people are you," he pointed to Shikamaru, "and you!" He pointed to Temari. "Better hurry it up or you'll be old forever. Alone."

Hearing Naruto talked about having a special someone and being single reminded them of the confession Shikamaru made about not marrying anyone else until Temari gets married. Gaara and Matsuri, being the only two who also knew, helped changed the subject.

"Hey, well, did you know it's baseball season for the school?" Gaara asked.

Matsuri tried to look interested, "Oh, really? I didn't know that."

"What's up with you two?" Naruto asked Matsuri and Gaara after seeing the weird and awkward scene from the couple.

"Nothing." The couple said. Luckily, they were saved by the bell.

"Oh, class time." Matsuri said. She pushed Naruto off the seat, "Go to your desk." She eyed Gaara and he got the message to take him away.

"Come on, let's go." Gaara dragged Naruto away.

* * *

"Konnichi-wa," Kakashi greeted an elderly couple that was walking down from a shrine that was on a hill. "May I ask a question?"

"If you're a city person, we don't know anything about nenet." The elderly man said as he waved his hand to tell Kota to not come over and bother them.

"Nenet?" What's that? He happened to look at his phone and realized they meant internet. He sprinted to them and bowed, "No, oji-san," He began, "I just want to ask a question about a picture."

"A picture?" The elderly couple asked.

Kakashi took out a picture from his black backpack and showed it to them. The elderly man took off his glasses and put the picture close to his nose. With his face scrunched, he took a long time to analyze the picture as if it wasn't big or clear enough to see. Kakashi waited patiently. He knew that elderly people have a hard time now that they were old, so he didn't mind the wait. Unfortunately, the entire town was filled with elderly families. This was a small and peaceful town that the only oldest children anyone would find here would be eight to ten year olds.

The elderly man handed the picture to his wife who did the same- putting the picture close to her face to see it clearly. Kakashi heard the man asked, "Why would he show us a picture of his wife?"

His wife shook her head and gave it back to Kota, "Did your wife run away?"

Kakashi laughed shyly, "No, it's not my wife. She's...a person I'm looking for."

"And, why is that?" The elderly man asked, cautious that Kota might be a dangerous person to the young lady in the picture.

Kakashi stuttered. He didn't expect this to happen. Sensing that he might end up in jail for something he didn't do and wouldn't do, he lied, "She's my sister." The elderly couple fell for it and gasped in embarrassment. "I'm looking for my long lost sister." He wanted to laugh because it came out from a drama he watched during his stay with his friend, Gai. "So, um, have you seen her around here before?"

The elderly couple shook their head, apologetically, "We're sorry." They said together.

Kakashi bowed to express his gratitude, "Thank you for helping me."

"Good luck finding your sister." The elderly mother said as she and her husband turned around to head back down the stairs.

Kakashi glanced up at the top of the stair. A temple. Maybe I should go pray for luck. He headed up and saw that no one was praying. It was a quiet and peaceful town after all with very few people.

After taking off his shoes, he slowly walked to it, tossed a coin into the offering box, lit an incense candle, and prayed. _May I find her family and relatives...for Natsu...and for..._

* * *

"Naruto, they won't be here until later in the afternoon. We have less than ten minutes to get to class." Shikamaru and Gaara are trying to persuade Naruto to go to class. Today was Friday, the day third-year middle school students would be touring the gang's school. The girls were in class. They didn't want to be late and get into trouble if they were to miss class. "Look, we can look for her during lunch, 'kay?"

Naruto frowned as he turned around, making his way into the school, "But, I want to see her now."

Shikamaru whispered into Gaara's ear, "He seriously needs to get a girlfriend soon." Gaara laughed at his joke. "Whoever dates Naruto is in for a ride."

"Hey, what do you mean by that?!" Naruto said, turning back. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get his answer because the bell rang. The trio did their shocked faces, looked at one another, and ran as fast as they could to their class.

* * *

"Where's Naruto?" Matsuri asked. She and Temari just finished having lunch on the rooftop. The boys, who had just arrived, couldn't join them because they were ordered by their homeroom teacher to help out for missing twenty minutes of class. She began setting the floor again for her boyfriend to sit beside her and eat with her.

"Not eating here," Gaara said. The girls gave the boys a look.

Shikamaru was the only one who seemed excited, "We're going to go watch Naruto peep at his future girlfriend!" He bit his lower lip, "Wanna come and watch the show?"

The girls looked at one another. With a sly smile, they said together, "Sure, why not?!"

* * *

The gang without Naruto peeped at him peeping and following the young pre-teens on the tour. They simultaneously pitied and respected Naruto's bravery of following the group of integrated genders. But, regardless of what would happen, they knew it'd be a good show to enjoy.

When Naruto glanced back, he saw his friends and gasped in horror. He knew that his friends would find entertainment in his hunt for his dream girl, but he had expected that he'd be able to avoid it. He rushed calmly to his friends with a face. "Go away." His friends gathered around him and started teasing him. "Shoo, shoo." He pleaded.

"So, how's it going?" Shikamaru teased. He kept on nudging his friend. "Have you seen her yet?"

Matsuri and Temari stuck out their necks to see the group. Temari frowned, "Which one is she?"

Naruto escaped his guy friends' teasing and went over to the girls. Pointing, he says, "She's the one. The one in pigtails."

Matsuri gasped in excitement, "She's so cute!"

Temari kept on looking, "I don't see her." Right after she said that, she found her, "Never mind."

"I'm definitely going to make her mine!" Naruto declared. "Make way for the new couple!"

"What are you kids dilly dallying here for?" A teacher impeded on their little hunt and scared them.

"We- we were just –" Naruto was stuttering as he tried to lied their way out.

DING DING DONG.

It was the school bell. Once again, saved.

"We'll be going now!" The gang rushed back to class.

* * *

Temari gently picked Natsu up from his nursery center. It was late at night and the virtual family was getting ready to head to bed. She and Shikamaru just finished their homework and were super tired. Especially Shikamaru, since it was almost two in the morning and he'd had to be awake in less than four hours for baseball practice.

"Did Naruto finally stopped texting you?" Temari asked Shikamaru. During the whole time when the friends departed from one another, Naruto had been sending constant emails 'reminding' his friends that he'd be having a girlfriend within less than six months.

Shikamaru yawned, "I don't know. I stopped checking. It's either the same message or about the same thing."

"I think it is about time he gets a girl." Shikamaru said, laughing. He started to frown, "Seriously, what do girls find in him that they don't find in me?"

Temari giggled, "Apparently, you're just not 'Naruto' enough." She headed to her room, "Good night."

"Well, you're not 'Matsuri' enough." Shikamaru retorted.

They both froze.

Temari waited for Shikamaru's next comment.

"Yeah, I can't believe I just said that, too." Shikamaru grimaced.

As Temari entered her room, she stopped before closing the door. "Ne…" She began, "when will you…eh, be dating?"

Shikamaru turned around, "Why?" He posed sexily with the door, "Want a piece of me?"

Temari rolled her eyes. She could never hate Shikamaru for never taking her serious questions seriously. His silliness always made her laughed. "Baka. I just…"_ I really don't want you…to not be married if Natsu's parents can't be found._

"Mi-chan," Shikamaru said. "About what I said…" He glanced away, "don't worry about it." Realizing that he might've implied that he didn't care about his declaration, he stuttered to make himself clear, "No, no-no…What I-"

Temari smiled and leaned on her door, "No. I understand. I know." She gave him a firm look, assuring him that she knew what he meant. "I know you'll always be there for me." She looked back down at Natsu, "For us." The two gave each other one last look and finally closed the door.

Temari plopped onto her bed, lying on her stomach. Closing her eyes, she muttered, "He forced himself to say it."

And with that conclusion, Temari became more motivated, and stressful, in making sure she ended up marrying someone.

Anyone.

* * *

Shikamaru faced the ceiling on his bed. _I'll just get married whenever she does. She won't ever know anyway._ He turned to sleep on his side. _Like hell am I going to let you be alone._

* * *

Published on: March 1, 2014 [SAT]

Next Publication: March 15, 2014 [SAT]


End file.
